bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of influencing factors in the decision-making of irrigation water pricing: a review
Authors: Upadhyaya A. , Jeet Pawan , Singh A. K. , Kumari Arti , Sundaram P. K.
Published: May 2022

The irrigation water-pricing (IWP) system may prove to be an effective tool for meeting the increased demand for water. It includes the totality of costs that water users incur for irrigation purposes, based on principle, i.e., fixed, volumetric and crop-based. Factors like crop type, area irrigated, number of irrigations and total volume of water used by water users are considered for initiating the decision-making process of IWP in many countries of the world. There is no uniform set of principles for fixing water rates; a multiplicity of factors are followed, such as the capacity of irrigators to pay, recovery of water cost, crop water requirement, sources of water supply and its assurance. Linear programming, the Full-cost and Bayesian Network model, Residual value method, Principal Agent model and spot market pricing model have been used to estimate the impact of an IWP policy on water users. In the Indian context, a rationalized IWP mechanism alone will not suffice if the revenue collection mechanism is not streamlined and strengthened throughout the country. In order to develop a full-fledged volumetric IWP system in India, considerable changes need to be made in irrigation water supply infrastructure and operational plans need to be developed, which will provide a good balance between efficiency and equity objectives.
Study of the weakly-compressible SPH method for improving pressure distribution of violent fluid-structure impact flows
Authors: He Junling , Hou Qingzhi , Cai Yuejin , Shaokang Chen , Ruixue Gao
Published: May 2022

When a traditional Weakly-Compressible Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (WCSPH) model is used to simulate free surface flow with a large Reynolds number, an unstable numerical calculation due to high random pressure oscillations will result, while an accurate pressure field is of vital significance for simulating violent fluid-structure interactions. Riemann-based SPH and Delta-SPH are widely used to solve this problem. In this paper, to enhance computational efficiency, the SPH method is implemented on a General Processing Unit (GPU) platform using Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA). Parallelized SPH programs including the standard SPH method, Riemann-based SPH and Delta-SPH are verified by a dam break model with large Reynolds number and violent deformation of free surfaces. The results show that all SPH methods can vividly reflect the whole process of splashing, rolling and backward jet flow; both the Riemann-based SPH and the Delta-SPH methods are effective in alleviating the problem of inhomogeneous pressure distribution in the simulation process; the Riemann-based SPH method has better stability even with relatively large particle spacing, and it has higher accuracy in simulating impact pressure. When the number of particles reaches 100,000, compared with a single-thread Central Processing Unit (CPU) implementation, the speedups obtained with NVIDIA Titan V with high computing cores and Quadro K2200 with low computing cores are thousands and hundreds, respectively.
Potassium Channels Contributes to Apelin-induced Vasodilation in Rat
Thoracic Aorta
Authors: Sahinturk Serdar , Demirel Sadettin , Isbil Naciye , Ozyener Fadil
Published: May 2022

Background:

Apelin is a newly discovered peptide hormone and originally discovered
endogenous apelin receptor ligand.

Objective:

In this study, we aimed to investigate the possible roles of potassium channel subtypes in
the vasorelaxant effect mechanisms of apelin.

Methods:

The vascular rings obtained from the thoracic aortas of the male Wistar Albino rats were
placed into the isolated tissue bath system. The resting tension was set to 2 g. After the equilibration
period, the aortic rings were precontracted with 10-5 M phenylephrine (PHE) or 45 mM KCl.
Pyroglutamyl-apelin-13 ([Pyr1]apelin-13), which is the dominant apelin isoform in the human
cardiovascular tissues and human plasma, was applied cumulatively (10-10-10-6 M) to the aortic
rings in the plateau phase. The experimental protocol was repeated in the presence of specific K+
channel subtype blockers to determine the role of K+ channels in the vasorelaxant effect
mechanisms of apelin.

Results:

[Pyr1]apelin-13 induced a concentration-dependent vasorelaxation (p < 0.001). The
maximum relaxation level was approximately 52%, according to PHE-induced contraction.
Tetraethylammonium, iberiotoxin, 4-Aminopyridine, glyburide, anandamide, and BaCl2 statistically
significantly decreased the vasorelaxant effect level of [Pyr1]apelin-13 (p < 0.001). However,
apamin didn’t statistically significantly change the vasorelaxant effect level of [Pyr1]apelin-13.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, our findings suggest that BKCa, IKCa, Kv, KATP, Kir, and K2P channels
are involved in the vasorelaxant effect mechanisms of apelin in the rat thoracic aorta.
Application of Aromatic Substituted 2,2,2-Trifluoro Diazoethanes in Organic Reactions
Authors: Zhang Cai
Published: May 2022

This review provides an overview of metal-, nonmetal-, light-, or catalyst free-promoting reactions of aromatic substituted 2,2,2-trifluoro diazoethanes with organic molecules for the synthesis of trifluoromethyl-substituted compounds. Several approaches will be reviewed and divided into (i) copper-, iron-, Trop(BF4)-, B(C6F5)3-, light-, or rhodium-promoted reactions of aromatic substituted 2,2,2-trifluoro diazoethanes with silanes, amines, mercaptans, phosphonates, p-cyanophenol, benzoic acid, diphenylphosphinic acid, boranes and nBu3SnH, (ii) rhodium-catalyzed reactions of aromatic substituted 2,2,2-trifluoro diazoethanes with amides and phenylhydroxylamine, (iii) copper-, rhodium-, silver-, and light-catalyzed reactions of aromatic substituted 2,2,2-trifluoro diazoethanes with alkynes, (iv) palladium-, copper-, rhodium- and iron-catalyzed reactions of aromatic substituted 2,2,2-trifluoro diazoethanes with alkenes, (v) BF3·OEt2-, copper-, tin- or TBAB-catalyzed reactions of aromatic substituted 2,2,2-trifluoro diazoethanes with HF·Py, (difluoroiodo)toluene (p-TolIF2), TMSCF3, AgSCF3, TMSCF2Br or 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds, (vi) palladium-, copper-, gold/silver- or rhodium-catalyzed reactions of aromatic substituted 2,2,2-trifluoro diazoethanes with indoles, benzene compounds or pyridines, and (vii) palladium-catalyzed reaction of aromatic substituted 2,2,2-trifluoro diazoethanes with benzyl or allyl bromides.
Impact of POR*28 Variant on Tacrolimus Pharmacokinetics in Kidney Transplant
Patients with Different CYP3A5 Genotypes
Authors: Everton Janaina B. F. , Patrício Fernando J. B. , Faria Manuel S. , Ferreira Teresa C. A. , Filho Natalino Salgado , Silva Gyl E.B. , Romão Elen A. , Magalhães Marcelo
Published: May 2022

Background:

The introduction of tacrolimus (TAC) to clinical practice was essential to the establishment
of transplantation as a therapy for patients with chronic renal disease. However, the higher interindividual variation
of TAC metabolism has been an important limiting factor for its clinical use. Although the relationship between
CYP3A5 polymorphisms and TAC pharmacokinetics (PK) is well established, the effects of other genetic variants on
TAC metabolism, such as POR*28, still remain uncertain.

Objective:

The study aimed to evaluate the impact of POR variants on TAC PK in renal transplant patients with
different CYP3A5 genotypes (expressers and non-expressers).

Methods:

A total of 115 patients were included in this study. Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood, and
the real-time PCR technique was used to analyze the polymorphism POR rs1057868; C>T.

Results:

During the initial post-transplant period, variant allele carriers (*1/*28 and *28/*28) showed a lower TAC
dose requirement than POR wild homozygotes (*1/*1). Regarding the influence of the different polymorphisms of
POR within the CYP3A5 expresser and non-expresser groups, no differences were observed in any of the PK parameters
analyzed during 12 months after transplantation.

Conclusion:

In the studied population, the variant allelic POR*28 was significantly associated with lower TAC dose
requirements and higher Co/D ratio in the first-month post-transplant. However, the effects of this polymorphism on
the CYP3A5 enzyme activity were not observed.
Anti-cancer Virotherapy in Russia: Lessons from the Past, Current
Challenges and Prospects for the Future
Authors: Pestov Nikolay B. , Kolyasnikova Nadezhda M. , Sanchez-Pimentel Jeanne P. , Barlev Nikolay A. , Ishmukhametov Aidar A.
Published: May 2022

The idea of using the lytic power of viruses against malignant cells has been entertained
for many decades. However, oncolytic viruses gained broad attention as an emerging anti-cancer
therapy only recently with the successful implementation of several oncolytic viruses to treat advanced
melanoma. Here we review the history of oncolytic viruses in the Russian Federation and
recent biotechnological advances in connection with the perspectives of their practical use against
aggressive tumors such as glioblastoma or pancreatic cancer. A particular emphasis is made on novel
applications of safe non-lytic virus-derived vectors armed with prodrug-converting enzyme
transgenes. Rational improvement of oncotropism by conjugation with biopolymers and nanoformulations
is also discussed.
WITHDRAWN: Design and Evaluation of Floating Micro-Carriers for Effective
Delivery of a Hydrophobic Drug
Authors: Yong Wu , Hussain Zubair , Hongcai Lui , Ling Zhu , Nawaz Muhammad Asad , Naz Adnan Falak
Published: May 2022

The article has been withdrawn at the request of the authors of the journal "Current Drug Delivery",

Bentham Science apologizes to the readers of the journal for any inconvenience this may have caused.

The Bentham Editorial Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at https://benthamscience.com/editorial-policies-main.php

Bentham Science Disclaimer:

It is a condition of publication that manuscripts submitted to this journal have not been published and will not be simultaneously
submitted or published elsewhere. Furthermore, any data, illustration, structure or table that has been published elsewhere
must be reported, and copyright permission for reproduction must be obtained. Plagiarism is strictly forbidden, and by submitting
the article for publication the authors agree that the publishers have the legal right to take appropriate action against the
authors, if plagiarism or fabricated information is discovered. By submitting a manuscript, the authors agree that the copyright
of their article is transferred to the publishers if and when the article is accepted for publication.
Ziziphi Spinosae Semen: A Natural Herb Resource for Treating Neurological Disorders
Authors: Zhang Mei , Liu Jinrui , Zhang Yanqing , Xie Junbo
Published: May 2022

Neurological disorders generally have the characteristics of occult onset and progressive development, which can do some serious damage to the human body in the aging process. It is worth noting that traditional medicine can potentially prevent and treat such diseases. Ziziphi Spi-nosae Semen (ZSS), the seeds of Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa, has a long clinical history for sleep regulation. In recent years, ZSS has been proved to exhibit various types of neuroprotective activity, such as sleep improvement, antidepressant, anti-anxiety, memory improvement, etc. It has become a popular natural product due to its many inherently available compounds that demonstrate medicinal and pharmacological importance. This paper reviews the main components and their metabolic transformation processes, highlights the various neurofunctional regulation activities and the mech-anisms of ZSS, providing a theoretical basis for further research and clinical application of this nat-ural medicine.
Structural and Functional Brain Changes Associated with Vitamin B12
Deficiency using Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Systematic Review and
Meta-analysis
Authors: Alghamdi Ali
Published: May 2022

Aim:

This review was conducted to assess the structural and functional brain changes associated
with vitamin B12 deficiency in different age groups using MRI.

Methods:

PubMed, Embase, Medline, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were
searched for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies that explored structural and functional brain
changes associated with vitamin B12 deficiency in different age groups. The inclusion criteria were as
follows: (1) the population consisted of people and not animals; (2) patients with known B12 deficiency;
(3) English publications; (3) at least one of the following brain MRI techniques had been employed:
VBM, DWI, DTI, fMRI, or rs-fMRI. However, case reports, systematic reviews and meta-analyses
were excluded.

Results:

Twelve articles met the inclusion criteria. The results of my review show a connection between
vitamin B12 deficiency and abnormal structural and functional brain changes in several brain regions.
These changes were observed in different age groups ranging from a mean age of seven years to a mean
age in the 70s. The results also highlight the association between brain changes and cognitive decline
among affected subjects. Improvements in damaged brain regions post-vitamin B12 treatment were also
studied.

Conclusion:

Structural and functional brain damage was found to be associated with vitamin B12 deficiency
in all age groups. Vitamin B12 treatment may lead to partial or complete structural and/or functional
recovery, as well as a cognitive recovery.
Image Analysis and Diagnosis of Skin Diseases - A Review
Authors: Li Xuhui , Zhao Xinyu , Ma Haoran , Xie Bin
Published: May 2022

Background:

Skin disease image analysis has drawn extensive attention from researchers, which can help doctors efficiently diagnose skin disease from medical images. Existing reviews have focused only on the specific task of skin disease diagnosis based on a single medical image type.

Discussion:

This paper presents the latest and comprehensive review of image analysis methods in skin diseases, and summarizes over 350 contributions to the field, most of which appeared in the last three years. We first sort out representative publicly available skin datasets and summarize their characteristics. Thereafter, aiming at the typical problems exposed by datasets, we organize the image preprocessing and data enhancement part. Further, we review the single tasks of skin disease image analysis in the literature such as classification, detection or segmentation, and analyze the improvement direction of their corresponding methods. Additionally, popular multi-task models based on structure and loss function are also investigated.

Conclusions:

Challenges involved from the aspects of the dataset and model structure are discussed.
Differential Performances in Lesions and Radiotracer of 18F-FDG
PET/CT between Multiple Myeloma and Unknown Osteolytic Metastasis
Authors: Li Dan , Deng Chengwen , Han Dongyan , Zhang Xiaoying , Lv Zhongwei
Published: May 2022

Purpose:

To investigate the differential performances in lesions and radio-tracer of 18F-FDG PET/CT between multiple myeloma and unknown osteolytic metastasis.

Methods:

A retrospective study was performed on 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging of 63 patients with multiple
bone destructions without extraosseous primary malignant tumors. By pathological diagnosis, 20
patients were confirmed to have multiple myeloma and 43 patients to have unknown osteolytic metastasis.
The whole body was categorized into 8 sites: skull, spine, ribs, pelvis, sternum, clavicle, scapula and
limb bone. The length of lesion cross-sections, cortical bone damage, SUVmax and radiotracer distribution
were comprehensively compared to differentiate these two diseases.

Results:

The cross-section lengths and SUVmax of the lesions in 5 sites (e.g., skull, spine, ribs, pelvis,
and limb bone) were significantly shorter and lower in the multiple myeloma group than those of the
unknown osteolytic metastasis group (P < 0.05). The 18F-FDG was more uniformly distributed in the
lesion sites of the skull, spine, ribs, pelvis, scapula, and limb bone in the multiple myeloma group (P <
0.05). In the spine and rib lesion sites, the multiple myeloma group was more likely to show noncortical
bone damage than the unknown osteolytic metastasis group (P < 0.05).

Conclusions:

We find the differential performances in lesions and 18F-FDG between multiple myeloma and unknown osteolytic metastasis is obvious by comprehensively comparing the length of lesion cross sections, cortical bone damage, SUVmax, the distribution of radio-tracer on18F-FDG PET/CT imaging.
An Evaluation of Effectiveness of a Texture Feature Based Computerized
Diagnostic Model in Classifying the Ovarian Cyst as Benign and Malignant
from Static 2D B-Mode Ultrasound Images
Authors: Sheela S. , Sumathi Manickam
Published: May 2022

Objective:

To develop a computerized diagnostic model to characterize the ovarian cyst at
its early stage in order to avoid unnecessary biopsy and patient anxiety.

Background:

The main cause of mortality and infertility in women is ovarian cancer. It is very difficult
to diagnose ovarian cancer using ultrasonography as benign and malignant ovarian masses or cysts
exhibit similar characteristics. Early prediction and characterization of ovarian masses will reduce the
unwanted growth of the ovarian mass.

Materials and Methods:

Transvaginal 2D B mode ovarian mass ultrasound images were preprocessed
initially to enhance the image quality. And then, the region of interest (ROI) in this case ovarian cyst
was segmented. Finally, Local Binary Pattern (LBP) textural features were extracted. A Support Vector
Machine was trained to classify the ovarian cyst or mass as benign or malignant.

Results:

The performance of the SVM improved with an average accuracy of 92% when the textural
features were extracted from the Original Gray Value-based LBP (OGV-LBP) image than the histogram-
based LBP.

Conclusion:

The SVM can classify the transvaginal 2D B mode ovarian cyst ultrasound images into
benign and malignant effectively when the textural features from the original gray value-based LBP
extracted were considered.
Reduced-Dose Full-Body CT in Lymphoma Follow-up: A Pilot Study
Authors: Zhang Ling , Li Caixia , Li Yonggang , Huang Renjun , Yan Jiulong , Geng Hongzhi , Yu Qiuyu , Sun Zongqiong , Liu Wenyan
Published: May 2022

Background:

How to reduce the radiation dose received from full-body CT scans during the
follow-up of lymphoma patients is a concern.

Objective:

The aim of the study was to investigate the image quality and radiation dose of reduced-dose
full-body computerized tomography (CT) in lymphoma patients during the follow-up.

Methods:

121 patients were included and divided into conventional CT group (group 1, 120-kVp, n =
61) or reduced-dose CT group (group 2, 100-kVp combined dual-energy CT (DECT), n = 60). 140-kVp
polychromatic images and 70-keV monochromatic images were reconstructed from DECT. The abdominal
virtual non-enhanced (VNE) images were reconstructed from monochromatic images. Two
radiologists rated the overall image quality with a five-point scale and graded the depiction of lesions
using a four-point scale. The objective image quality was evaluated using image noise, signal-to-noise
ratio, and contrast-to-noise ratio. The radiation dose and image quality were compared between the
groups.

Results:

The comparable subjective image quality was observed between 70-keV and 120-kVp images
in the neck, while 120-kVp images showed better objective image quality. 70-keV images showed better
objective image quality in the chest. While the subjective image quality of abdominal VNE images was
inferior to that of true non-enhanced images, the improved objective image quality was observed in
VNE images. In the abdominal arterial phase, similar subjective image quality was observed between
the groups. Abdominal 70-keV images in the arterial phase showed improved objective image quality.
Similar image quality was obtained in the abdominal venous phase between the groups. The effective
radiation dose in group 2 showed a significant reduction.

Conclusion:

The application of reduced-dose full-body CT can significantly reduce the radiation dose
for lymphoma patients during the follow-up while maintaining or improving the image quality.
Automatedin silicoEGFR Peptide Inhibitor Elongation using Self-evolving Peptide Algorithm
Authors: Heh Choon Han , Tan Ke Han , Chin Sek Peng
Published: May 2022

Background:

The vast diversity of peptide sequences may hinder the effectiveness of screening for potential peptide therapeutics as if searching for a needle in a haystack. This study aims to develop a new self-evolving peptide algorithm (SEPA), for easy virtual screening of small linear peptides (three to six amino acids) as potential therapeutic agents with the collaborative use of freely available software that can be run on any operating system equipped with a Bash scripting terminal. Mitogen-Inducible Gene 6 (Mig6) protein, a cytoplasmic protein responsible for inhibi-tion and regulation of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase, was used to demonstrate the algorithm.

Objective:

The objective is to propose a new method to discover potential novel peptide inhibitors via an automated peptide generation, docking and post-docking analysis algorithm that ranks short peptides by using essential hydrogen bond interaction between peptides and the target receptor.

Method:

A library of dockable dipeptides were first created using PyMOL, Open Babel and Au-toDockTools, and docked into the target receptor using AutoDock Vina, automatically via a Bash script. The docked peptides were then ranked by hydrogen bond interaction-based thorough inter-action analysis, where the top-ranked peptides were then elongated, docked, and ranked again. The process repeats until the user-defined peptide length is achieved.

Results:

In the tested example, SEPA bash script was able to identify the tripeptide YYH ranked within top 20 based on the essential hydrogen bond interaction towards the essential amino acid residue ASP837 in the EGFR-TK receptor.

Conclusions:

SEPA could be an alternative approach for the virtual screening of peptide sequences against drug targets.
Chemotherapeutic Role of Polyphenols Present in Ocimum sanctum
Authors: Khatoon Saima , Kalam Nida , Balasubramaniam Vinod RMT , Shaikh Mohd. Farooq , Ansari Mohammad Tahir
Published: May 2022

Ocimum sanctum is a sacred herb of India and is commonly known as ‘Tulsi’ or ‘Holy Basil’ in regional languages of the country. Various parts of O. sanctum are recognised to have remarkable therapeutic efficacy, and are therefore used in Indian traditional medicine system, Ayurveda. Scientific studies have shown that O. sanctum has a range of pharmacological activities. The presence of a substantial amount of polyphenols in O. sanctum could be the reason for its excellent bioactivity. Polyphenols are used to prevent or treat oncologic diseases due to their anti-cancer effects, which are related to activation of apoptotic signaling, cell cycle arrest, binding ability with membrane receptors, and potential effects on immunomodulation and epigenetic mechanisms.

The poor bioavailability of polyphenols restricts their clinical use. The application of nanonization has been implemented to improve their bioavailability, penetrability, and prolong their anticancer action. The present review analyses the recent preclinical studies related to the chemo-preventive and therapeutic potential of polyphenols present in O. sanctum. Moreover, the current article also examines in-depth the biochemical and molecular mechanisms involved in the antineoplastic actions of the considered polyphenols.
Recent Patents on Vascular Stent Material and Its Preparation
Authors: Li Zhaolong , Zhu Wenming
Published: May 2022

Background:

A vascular stent is a kind of internal stent implanted in the lesion segment when the vessel is stenosis or pathologically expanded, but there will be stenosis complications in the long-term after stent implanta-tion. Therefore, the ideal vascular stent material should have good tissue and blood compatibility, which is the key to controlling the stent in the occurrence of stenosis. Besides, it has good biodegrada-bility, non-toxicity and good mechanical properties. It should be smooth and flexible enough, and the stent should have good compliance when implanted in human body. It should also have biological properties and physiological characteristics that are close to normal blood vessels to ensure that cells can be well attached and grown to avoid any adverse immune exclusion or post-metabolism. The re-sulting undesirable products should finally ensure that the materials are widely available and inexpen-sive, and can be produced on a large scale to meet different clinical needs.

Objective:

In order to solve the long-term complications of stenosis after vascular stent placement, the vascular stent material and its preparation have been continuously optimized and improved.
Methods: A review of various representative patents and papers on vascular stent materials and their p-reparation at home and abroad are reviewed.

Results:

A review of various representative patents and papers on vascular stent materials and their p-reparation at home and abroad are reviewed.

Results:

By summarizing a large number of vascular stent materials and their preparation patents and papers, the preparation methods of vascular stents, the optimization of preparation methods, the performance of vascular stents, and the development trend of vascular stent materials and their preparation a-re discussed.

Conclusion:

The preparation method of the vascular stent material and the optimization of the structure are bene-ficial to improving the performance of the vascular stent material. More related patents and p-apers will appear in the future.
Anti-Cancer Role of Dendrosomal Nano Solanine in Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Cell Line through Attenuation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathway and Inhibition of hTERT Expression
Authors: Asgaritarghi Golareh , Farsani Seyedeh Sahar Mortazavi , Sadeghizadeh Dina , Najaﬁ Farhood , Sadeghizadeh Majid
Published: May 2022

Background:

Solanine was primarily known as a toxic compound. Nonetheless, recently the apoptotic role of solanine through suppression of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway has been shown against many malignancies except chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Sustaining the aforementioned pro-survival pathway, BCR-ABL fused oncoprotein in CML activates NF-kB and c- MYC for apparent immortalizing factor hTERT. Since solanine is a poor water-soluble molecule, herein, a nanocarrier was employed to intensify its pernicious effect on cancerous cells.

Objective:

The current research aimed at evaluating the effect of dendrosomal nano solanine (DNS) on leukemic and HUVEC cells.

Methods:

DNS characterization was determined by NMR, DLS and TEM. The viability, apoptosis and cell cycle of DNS and imatinib-treated cells were determined. A quantitative real-time PCR was employed to measure the expression of PI3K, AKT, mTOR, S6K, NF-kB, c-MYC and hTERT mRNAs. The Protein levels were evaluated by western blot.

Results:

Investigating the anticancer property of free and dendrosomal nano solanine (DNS) and the feasible interplaying between DNS and imatinib on leukemic cells, we figured out the potential inhibitory role of DNS and DNS+IM on cancerous cells in comparison with chemotherapy drugs. Moreover, results revealed that the encapsulated form of solanine was much more preventive on the expression of PI3KCA, mTOR, NF-kB, c-MYC and hTERT accompanied by the dephosphorelating AKT protein.

Conclusion:

The results advocate the hypothesis that DNS, rather than solanine, probably due to impressive penetration, can restrain the principal pro-survival signaling pathway in erythroleukemia K562 and the HL60 cell lines and subsequently declined mRNA level of hTERT which causes drug resistance during long-term treatment. Additionally, combinational treatment of DNS and IM could also bestow an additive anti-leukemic effect. As further clinical studies are necessary to validate DNS efficacy on CML patients, DNS could have the potency to be considered as a new therapeutic agent even in combination with IM.
WITHDRAWN: Integrated Matrix Incorporating Imidazole Graphene Assembled
Metallic Copper and Silver Nanoparticles to be a Fluidic Antenna
Device
Authors: Abdelrahman Ameen , Erchiqui Fouad , Nedil B M.
Published: May 2022

:

Since the authors are not responding to the editor’s requests to fulfill the editorial requirement, therefore, the article has been
withdrawn.

The Bentham Editorial Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at https://benthamscience.com/editorial-policies-main.php

Bentham Science Disclaimer:

It is a condition of publication that manuscripts submitted to this journal have not been published and will not be simultaneously
submitted or published elsewhere. Furthermore, any data, illustration, structure or table that has been published elsewhere
must be reported, and copyright permission for reproduction must be obtained. Plagiarism is strictly forbidden, and by submitting
the article for publication the authors agree that the publishers have the legal right to take appropriate action against the
authors, if plagiarism or fabricated information is discovered. By submitting a manuscript, the authors agree that the copyright
of their article is transferred to the publishers if and when the article is accepted for publication.
A Survey of Explainable Artificial Intelligence in Bio-signals Analysis
Authors: Wei Sow Chen , Choo Yun-Huoy , Muda Azah Kamilah , Sing Lee Chien
Published: May 2022

Background:

In contrast to the high rate of interest in artificial intelligence (AI) for business, the rate of AI adoption is much lower. It has been found that lack of consumer trust would adversely influence consumer’s evaluations of information given by AI. Hence the need for explanations in model results.

MethodS:

This is especially the case in clinical practice and juridical enforcement where improvements in prediction and interpretation are crucial. Bio-signals analysis such as EEG diagnosis usually involves complex learning models, which are difficult to explain. Therefore, the explanatory module is imperative if results is to be released to the general public. This research shows a systematic review of explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) advancement in the research community. Recent XAI efforts on bio-signals analysis were reviewed. The explanatory models are found to be in favor compared to the interpretable model approach due to the popularity of deep learning models in many use cases.

Result:

The verification and validation of explanatory models appear to be one of the crucial gaps in XAI bio-signals research. Currently, human expert evaluation is the easiest validation approach. Although the human directed approach is highly trusted by the bio-signals community, but it suffers from persona and social bias issues.

Conclusion:

Hence, future research should investigate on more objective evaluation measurements towards achieving the characteristics of inclusiveness, reliability, transparency, and consistency in XAI framework.
Take a Seat for Yoga with Seniors: A Scoping Review
Authors:   Sacred Heart University 5151 Park Avenue, Fairfield, United States of America, Veneri Diana , Gannotti Mary ,   University of Hartford 200 Bloomfield Avenue, Hartford, United States of America
Published: May 2022

Chair yoga is a specific form of yoga practiced while seated on a chair, or standing using a chair for support; this adaptation allows those with impaired standing ability to practice safely. The purpose of this scoping review was to analyze the published literature regarding the use of chair/adapted yoga with older adults. Two researchers performed the review. Data sources: PubMed Central, CINAHL, Medline Full Text, Nursing and Allied Health, SPORT discus and TRIP were accessed. Study selection: Inclusion criteria included pre-test/post-test studies with a yoga intervention for older adults using a chair. Exclusion criteria were studies with seated exercise interventions not specific to yoga, mindfulness or breathing techniques with no physical activity, yoga with no use of a chair, not specific to older adults and reviews. The search strategy was performed by two reviewers. Data extraction: Covidence, a systematic review production tool, was utilized to aid article analysis. Data synthesis: Summation of study type, sample, dosing, intervention type, setting, outcome domains and results were included. Of the 3147 studies initially identified, 75 met the inclusion criteria. This review included 32 RCTs, 11 quasi-experimental, 21 cohort, nine qualitative studies and 2 case-series studies. Most studies reported affective and psychomotor domains of learning (n = 51) and favored chair/adapted yoga as an intervention over the control. A few studies included a second intervention. Twenty two of the 75 studies were focused on community dwelling older adults, followed by participants with orthopedic diagnoses (n = 16), and cognitive impairment (n = 9). The quality of literature supporting chair/adapted yoga is fairly substantial for both community dwelling and those with certain physical and cognitive diagnoses. It is recommended that this intervention continue to be utilized and studied.
Quality Criteria for Real-world Data in Pharmaceutical Research and Health Care Decision-making: Austrian Expert Consensus
Authors: Klimek Peter , Baltic Dejan , Brunner Martin , Degelsegger-Marquez Alexander , Garhöfer Gerhard , Gouya-Lechner Ghazaleh , Herzog Arnold , Jilma Bernd , Kähler Stefan , Mikl Veronika , Mraz Bernhard , Ostermann Herwig , Röhl Claas , Scharinger Robert , Stamm Tanja , Strassnig Michael , Wirthumer-Hoche Christa , Pleiner-Duxneuner Johannes
Published: May 2022

Real-world data (RWD) collected in routine health care processes and transformed to real-world evidence have become increasingly interesting within the research and medical communities to enhance medical research and support regulatory decision-making. Despite numerous European initiatives, there is still no cross-border consensus or guideline determining which qualities RWD must meet in order to be acceptable for decision-making within regulatory or routine clinical decision support.
In the absence of guidelines defining the quality standards for RWD, an overview and first recommendations for quality criteria for RWD in pharmaceutical research and health care decision-making is needed in Austria.
An Austrian multistakeholder expert group led by Gesellschaft für Pharmazeutische Medizin (Austrian Society for Pharmaceutical Medicine) met regularly; reviewed and discussed guidelines, frameworks, use cases, or viewpoints; and agreed unanimously on a set of quality criteria for RWD.
This consensus statement was derived from the quality criteria for RWD to be used more effectively for medical research purposes beyond the registry-based studies discussed in the European Medicines Agency guideline for registry-based studies. This paper summarizes the recommendations for the quality criteria of RWD, which represents a minimum set of requirements.
In order to future-proof registry-based studies, RWD should follow high-quality standards and be subjected to the quality assurance measures needed to underpin data quality. Furthermore, specific RWD quality aspects for individual use cases (eg, medical or pharmacoeconomic research), market authorization processes, or postmarket authorization phases have yet to be elaborated.
Impact of a Long Lockdown on Mental Health and the Role of Media Use: Web-Based Survey Study
Authors: Grygarová Dominika , Adámek Petr , Juríčková Veronika , Horáček Jiří , Bakštein Eduard , Fajnerová Iveta , Kesner Ladislav
Published: May 2022

Background

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Czech population experienced a second lockdown lasting for about half a year, restricting free movement and imposing social isolation. However, it is not known whether the impact of this long lockdown resulted in habituation to the adverse situation or in the traumatization of the Czech population, and whether the media and specific media use contributed to these effects.

Objective

The aim of this study was to elucidate the effect of the long lockdown on the mental health of the Czech population, and the role of exposure to COVID-19 news reports and specific forms of media news use in mental health.

Methods

We conducted two consecutive surveys in the early (November 2020) and late (March/April 2021) phases of the nationwide lockdown on the same nationally representative group of Czech adults (N=1777) participating in a longitudinal panel study.

Results

Our findings showed that the self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression increased in the second observation period, confirming the negative effect of the pandemic lockdown as it unfolded, suggesting that restrictive measures and continuous exposure to a collective stressor did not result in the strengthening of resilience but rather in ongoing traumatization. The results also suggest a negative role of the media’s coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic in mental health during the early, and particularly late, phases of the lockdown. Furthermore, we found several risk and protective factors of specific media news use. The media practice in news consumption connected to social media use was the strongest predictor of exacerbated mental health symptoms, particularly in the late phase of the lockdown. Moreover, news media use characterized by internalization of information learned from the news, as well as negative attitudes toward media news, were associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression. Conversely, the use of infotainment, together with an in-depth and contextual style of reading news articles, were related to improvement of mental health.

Conclusions

Our study showed that the long lockdown resulted in traumatization rather than habituation, and in more pronounced effects (both negative and positive) of media use in mental health.
An Adapted Cognitive Behavioral Stress and Self-management Intervention for Sexual Minority Men Living With HIV and Cancer Using the SmartManage eHealth Platform: Protocol and Study Design
Authors: Puccinelli Marc , Seay Julia , Otto Amy , Garcia Sofia , Crane Tracy E , Benzo Roberto M , Solle Natasha , Mustanski Brian , Merchant Nipun , Safren Steven A , Penedo Frank J
Published: May 2022

Background

Sexual minority men are disproportionately affected by HIV. Medical advances in HIV treatment have extended life expectancy, and as this group ages, medical and psychological challenges become more prominent. Older people with HIV experience a higher incidence of cancer and other comorbidities; these burdens along with sexual minority stress can strain coping resources and diminish health-related quality of life. Interventions such as cognitive behavioral stress and self-management (CBSM) can mitigate some of this burden; however, no manualized, eHealth-based interventions have focused on the unique needs of sexual minority men living with HIV and cancer.

Objective

This study aims to refine and finalize a web-based, CBSM-based intervention to meet the unique needs of this population, including sexual health, comanagement of 2 chronic conditions, and coping with sexual minority stress.

Methods

This mixed methods study used a previously completed qualitative phase (n=6) to inform the development of a web-based platform and intervention called SmartManage. The pilot phase study (n=50) involved randomization (1:1) into either 10 sessions of adapted CBSM or an attention control health promotion. Both conditions used the SmartManage platform, a web-based eHealth program designed to deliver CBSM and health promotion content and host live groups. Feasibility and acceptability (eg, rates of participant engagement and retention) were the primary outcomes.

Results

Participant-related activities are expected to be completed by November 2022, and results are expected to be submitted for publication by February 2023.

Conclusions

We hypothesize that participants would find the intervention acceptable (compared with engagement and retention rates observed in similar CBSM studies). We also hypothesize that participants receiving the SmartManage intervention would have reduced symptom burden and improved health-related quality of life before and after treatment compared with those who do not.

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/37822
​​Protocol for an experimental study design that uses mobile sensor data to aid clinical decision-making at the individual and community level (Preprint)
Authors: Arora Vikas , Sahoo Jagannath , Gupta Mansi , Joshi Ashish
Published: May 2022

BACKGROUND

The mobile sensor data can provide vital information about patients’ behavior and physical activity. In particular, the mobile accelerometer sensor data, if monitored effectively, can be used further for keeping the watch on the physical activity of an individual and planning an intervention to improve it. These sensor data can also be used for improving clinical decision-making in sedentary lifestyle-related diseases.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to use the accelerometer sensor metadata of the mobile device in facilitating the delivery of interventions to enhance physical activity.

METHODS

A sequential explanatory mixed-method research design would be used between June 2022 to December 2022. The physical activity-related accelerometer sensor data will be collected from individuals with a sedentary lifestyle between the age of 30 to 45 visiting the clinics of selected health care providers in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Based on the initial data recorded, an individualized activity plan will be created. Periodic monitoring of physical activity levels will be conducted over a three months period. Participants will receive the message from clinicians based on their current physical activity levels for encouraging them to adhere to the prescribed regimen suggested by clinicians.

RESULTS

The proposed research will help in exploring the role of remote monitoring of sensor data in improving adherence to physical activity plan as prescribed by their clinicians. It will also help in studying the variables that influence the monitoring of remote data collection.

CONCLUSIONS

This study will help to bring improvement in the physical activity levels of patients with a sedentary lifestyle and with confirmed hypertension and type-2 diabetes through remote monitoring, ongoing messaging, and facilitation through clinical decision-making.
Association Between VDR and CYP24A1 Polymorphisms, Atopic Dermatitis, and Biochemical Lipid and Vitamin D Profiles in Spanish Population: Case-Control Study (Preprint)
Authors: González-Tarancón Ricardo , Goñi-Ros Nuria , Salvador-Rupérez Elvira , Hernández-Martín Ángela , Izquierdo-Álvarez Silvia , Puzo-Foncillas José , Gilaberte-Calzada Yolanda
Published: May 2022

BACKGROUND

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the most prevalent inflammatory skin disorder, characterized by impaired epidermal barrier function and an altered immune response, both of which are influenced by vitamin D deficiency. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in VDR and CYP24A1 have been previously associated with AD.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to characterize the associations between the VDR and CYP24A1 polymorphisms and the vitamin D and lipid biochemical profile in children diagnosed with AD.

METHODS

A total of 246 participants (143 patients with AD and 103 healthy controls) were enrolled in this study. Genotyping for polymorphisms in VDR (rs2239185, rs1544410, rs7975232, rs2238136, rs3782905, rs2239179, rs1540339, rs2107301, rs2239182, and rs731236) and CYP24A1 (rs2248359 and rs2296241) was performed by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction using integrated fluidic circuit technology. Serum levels of calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D were measured, and the biochemical lipid profile was determined.

RESULTS

Among VDR SNPs, rs2239182 exerted a protective effect against the development of AD, whereas rs2238136 was identified as a risk factor for AD. The GCC haplotype (rs2239185-G, rs1540339-C, and rs2238136-C) appeared to protect against the development of AD. rs2239182-CC was associated with higher 25(OH)D concentrations, whereas rs2238136-TT, rs2239185-GA, and rs2248359-TT were present in a large proportion of patients with serum vitamin D deficiency. rs2239185-AA, rs2239182-CC, and rs1540339-CC were associated with higher serum total cholesterol; rs2239182-TT was associated with lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; and rs2239182-TC with lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Both CYP24A1 SNPs (rs2296241-AA and rs2248359-TT) were associated with higher high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels.

CONCLUSIONS

The VDR SNP rs2238136 is a risk factor for AD and other SNPs in VDR and CYP24A1, which may lead to alterations in biochemical parameters that influence the risk of AD. Our findings highlight the complex genetic basis to AD and indicate that interrelationships between different genetic factors can lead to alterations in vitamin D metabolism or lipid profiles, which in turn may influence the development of AD.
Multimodal treatment for sexual abuse survivors: Mixed-methods results indicate benefits for children and caregivers (Preprint)
Authors: Jin Jonathan , Smith-MacDonald Lorraine , Al-Shamali Huda , Reeson Matthew , Pazderka Hannah , Li Xin-Min , Polzin Wanda , Wei Yifeng , Silverstone Peter H. , Greenshaw Andrew J.
Published: May 2022

BACKGROUND

Background: Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a key health area that needs new and innovative treatment options for both caregivers and children. Although there are few existing treatment options for the CSA survivors, there have been studies targeting inventions for children’s mental health issues as well as for caregiver-child dyads. For CSA survivors, there is some recent evidence for the effectiveness of multimodal treatment. However, no prior study has identified long term findings over the full year of programming in a multimodal program and there has been no analysis of the role of caregivers in treatment outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a complex multimodal treatment program for child sexual abuse (CSA) survivors. The secondary aim was to qualitatively evaluate the attitudes and opinions of caregivers.

METHODS

Methods: Children (CSA survivors) completed quantitative self-report surveys before and after each of the four treatment rounds in a comprehensive year long program (n=15). 86.7% identified as female and 13.3% identified as transgender (mean age 10.2 ± 1.6). Measures included validated self-report surveys related to anxiety, depression, PTSD, quality of life, and self-esteem. Changes in mean outcome scores were analyzed for statistical significance. Caregivers of CSA survivors participated in two innovative hybrid webinar focus groups with staff at a residential treatment facility (n=11). Sessions were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed.

RESULTS

Results: For CSA survivors, statistically significant improvements were observed on PTSD, depression, anxiety, and quality of life. For caregivers of CSA survivors, 20 participants contributed to the data and three themes arose from our thematic analysis: (1) Challenges of starting and maintaining treatment, (2) Therapeutic benefits of specialized treatment, and (3) Barriers and facilitators of treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Conclusions: The present mixed methods study supports effectiveness of a complex multimodal program designed for CSA survivors in terms of improving children’s mental health outcomes as well as supporting caregiver well-being. Future studies are warranted with a larger sample size to replicate these preliminary long-term findings. Several benefits and gaps in wellness support arose during our thematic analysis.