bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study on the Technique of Ellipse Excavation and Tilt Correction of the Stone Statues of the Northern Song Dynasty Imperial Mausoleum
Authors: Ma Qingwen , wang yangyang , Liu Sihan , Fan Xinyu
Published: June 2021

This article takes the stone statues of the Northern Song Dynasty imperial mausoleum as the research object. Aiming at the characteristics of the stone statues low weight and small building area, combined with the serious weathering of the stone statues, the reasons for the inclination and the defects of the traditional round soil excavation holes, an elliptical soil excavation correction method is proposed. Adopt the method of combining numerical simulation and experiment to carry out the research of elliptical excavation and tilt correction of stone statues. Research indicates: The settlement difference between the excavation side and the non-excavation side increases with the increase of the span-to-height ratio of the excavation hole; The shallower the depth of the digging hole, the greater the settlement difference between the digging side and the non-digging side; The settlement difference between the digging side and the non-digging side decreases with the increase of the hole spacing; The settlement of the superstructure mainly occurs within 4 to 5 hours after the soil is excavated, and then enters a slow growth stage, and finally gradually stabilizes; During the test, the failure of the digging hole belongs to plastic failure. The damage of the digging hole is firstly destroyed from both sides of the hole, and the upper part of the hole is destroyed immediately, and the upper structure edge is destroyed first.
CXCR5 Down-regulation Alleviates Cognitive Dysfunction in a Mouse Model of Sepsis-associated Encephalopathy: Potential Role of Neuronal Autophagy and the p38MAPK/NF-κB/STAT3 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Shen Yanan , Zhang Yuan , Du Jiayue , Jiang Baochun , Shan Tao , Li Haojia , Bao Hongguang , Si Yanna
Published: June 2021

BackgroundCognitive deficits are common in patients with sepsis. Previous studies in sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) implicated the C-X-C chemokine receptor type (CXCR) 5. The present study used a mouse model of SAE to examine whether CXCR5 down-regulation could attenuate cognitive deficits.MethodsSepsis was induced in adult male C57BL/6J and CXCR5-/- mice by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). At 14-18 days after surgery, animals were tested in a Morris water maze, followed by a fear conditioning test. Transmission electron microscopy of hippocampal sections was used to assess levels of autophagy. Primary microglial cultures challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were used to examine the effects of short interfering RNA targeting CXCR5, and to investigate the possible involvement of the p38MAPK/NF-κB/STAT3 signaling pathway.ResultsCLP impaired learning and memory and up-regulated CXCR5 in hippocampal microglia. CLP activated hippocampal autophagy, as reflected by increases in numbers of autophagic vacuoles, conversion of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) from form I to form II, accumulation of beclin-1 and autophagy related gene-5, and a decrease in p62 expression. CLP also shifted microglial polarization to the M1 phenotype, and increased levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and phosphorylated p38MAPK. CXCR5 knockout further enhanced autophagy but partially reversed all the other CLP-induced effects, including cognitive deficits. Similar effects on autophagy and cytokine expression were observed after knocking down CXCR5 in LPS-challenged primary microglial cultures; this knockdown also partially reversed LPS-induced up-regulation of phosphorylated NF-κB and STAT3. The p38MAPK agonist P79350 partially reversed the effects of CXCR5 knockdown in microglial cultures.ConclusionsCXCR5 may act via p38MAPK/NF-κB/STAT3 signaling to inhibit hippocampal autophagy during sepsis and thereby contribute to cognitive dysfunction. Down-regulating CXCR5 can restore autophagy and mitigate the proinflammatory microenvironment in the hippocampus.
WITHDRAWN: Is Increased Platelet Aggregation Is a Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease in Women With Idiopathic Central Precocious Puberty
Authors: Bolat Ahmet , Zeybek CENGİZ , GÜRSEL ORHAN , TAŞÇILAR MEHMET EMRE
Published: June 2021

BackgroundEarly menarche in girls is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events later in life, but the role of platelets in this risk has not been investigated during puberty. Here, we evaluated the effects of idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP) on platelet aggregation in platelet-rich plasma samples from female patients. MethodsThe study included 40 girls diagnosed with ICPP between February 2012 and June 2016, and a control group consisting of 30 healthy females. Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and collagen-induced platelet aggregation were studied with photometric aggregometry. ResultsThere was no difference in the platelet count or volume between girls with ICPP and the control group. In addition, the ADP-induced maximum aggregation time, value, and slope did not significantly differ between the study and control groups (p > 0.05). However, the collagen-induced maximum aggregation time, value, and slope were significantly higher in the study group (p < 0.001). ConclusionsIncreased collagen-induced platelet aggregation was detected in girls with ICPP. Thus, early treatment of ICPP may be important because of the increased risk of cardiovascular events later in life. Extensive studies with more patients are needed to determine the mechanisms of platelet dysfunction in girls with ICPP.
Effectiveness of Cascading Time Series Models Based on Meteorological Factors in Improving Health Risk Prediction
Authors: Jia Shuopeng , She Weibin , Pi Zhipeng , Niu Buying , Zhang Jinhua , Lin Xihan , Xu Mingjun , She Weiya , Liao Jun
Published: June 2021

Meteorological factors, which are cyclical and regular, have an essential impact on human health. Accurate health risk prediction based on meteorological factors is essential for optimal resource allocation in healthcare units. However, due to the non-stationary and nonlinear of the original hospitalization sequence, traditional methods are less robust to predict it. This study aims to investigate hospital admission prediction models using time series pre-processing algorithms and deep learning approach based on Meteorological factors. Using the hospital electronic medical record data of Panyu Central Hospital and meteorological data of Panyu district from 2003-2019, 46,089 eligible patients with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) and four meteorological factors were identified to build and evaluate the prediction models. A novel hybrid model, Cascade GAM-CEEMDAN-LSTM Model (CGCLM) was established in combination with Generalized Additive Model (GAM), Complete Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition with Adaptive Noise (CEEMDAN) and Long-Short Term Memory Networks (LSTM) for predicting daily admissions of patients with LRTIs. The experimental results show that the CGCLM multistep method proposed in this paper outperforms the single LSTM model in the prediction of health risk time series at different time window sizes. Moreover, our results also indicate that the CGCLM has the best prediction performance when the time window is set to 61 days (RMSE=1.12, MAE=0.87, R2=0.93). Adequate extraction of exposure-response relationships between meteorological factors and diseases and suitable handling of sequence pre-processing have an important role in time series prediction. This hybrid climate-based model to LRTIs disease prediction can also be extended to the time series prediction of other epidemic disease.
Reactive Oxygen Species Generated by Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons From Ambient Particulate Matter Enhance Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Migration Through MMP Upregulation and Actin Reorganization
Authors: Ju Sujin , Lim Leejin , Ki Young-Jae , Choi Dong-Hyun , Song Heesang
Published: June 2021

BackgroundEpidemiological studies have suggested that elevated concentrations of particulate matter (PM) are strongly associated with the incidence of atherosclerosis; however, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms of atherosclerosis by PM exposure and the components that are mainly responsible for this adverse effect remain to be established. In this investigation, we evaluated the effects of ambient PM on vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) behavior. In addition, the effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including oxygenated PAHs (oxy-PAHs), on VSMC migration and the underlying mechanisms were examined.ResultsVSMC migration was significantly increased by treatment with ambient PM. The total amount of PAHs contained in WPM was higher than that in SPM, leading to higher ROS generation and VSMC migration. The increased migration was successfully inhibited by treatment with the ROS scavenger, N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC). The levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 2 and 9 were significantly increased in ambient PM-treated VSMCs, with MMP9 levels being significantly higher in WPM-treated VSMCs than in those treated with SPM. As expected, migration was significantly increased in all tested PAHs (anthracene, ANT; benz(a)anthracene, BaA) and their oxygenated derivatives (9,10-Anthraquinone, AQ; 7,12-benz(a)anthraquinone, BAQ, respectively). The phosphorylated levels of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and formation of the focal adhesion complex were significantly increased in ambient PM or PAH-treated VSMCs, and these effects were blocked by administration of NAC or a-NF, an inhibitor of AhR, the receptor that allows PAH uptake. Subsequently, the levels of phosphorylated Src and NRF, the downstream targets of FAK, were altered with a pattern similar to that of p-FAK.ConclusionsPAHs, including oxy-PAHs, in ambient PM may have dual effects that lead to an increase in VSMC migration. One is the generation of ROS followed by MMP upregulation, and the other is actin reorganization that results from the activation of the focal adhesion complex.
In Vitro Assessment of Antioxidative Potential of Goat Milk, Casein and its Hydrolysates: Comparison of Goat Milk with Bovine and Buffalo milk
Authors: Kalyan Sunny , MEENA SUNITA , Kapila Suman , Yadav Radha , Deshwal Gaurav Kr
Published: June 2021

The present study was executed with an aim to explore the antioxidative potential of goat, cow, and buffalo milk. Buffalo milk has showed highest antioxidative potential than goat and cow milk as measured by ABTS, ORAC, and DPPH assays, whereas goat milk has showed better antioxidative potential than cow milk when measured by ORAC and DPPH. Further, the effect of temperature on the antioxidative potential of goat milk was assessed. An increase in temperature has a negatively affect the antioxidative potential of goat milk. The antioxidative potential of goat milk was in the following order: raw milk > pasteurized milk > boiled milk. Casein derived from goat milk by isoelectric precipitation was hydrolyzed by gastrointestinal enzymes pepsin (P), trypsin (T), chymotrypsin (C), and their combinations PT, PC, TC, and PTC. Among all the casein hydrolysates, the maximum antioxidative potential was found in PT hydrolysate, further fractionated by 10, 3 and 1 kDa ultrafiltration membranes. 3–10 kDa fraction exhibited maximum antioxidative potential in comparison to other fractions of PT hydrolysate. Our results suggested that antioxidative potential of goat milk and its hydrolysates could be an important mean to obtain natural antioxidative peptides.
The Relationship between Dairy Products Intake and Breast Cancer Incidence: A Meta-analysis of Observational Studies.
Authors: He Yujing , Chen Ping , Zhou Feifei , Si Yuexiu , Fu Rongrong , Xu Binbin , Xu Jiaxuan , Li Xiangyuan , Gu Lihu
Published: June 2021

Background: The effect of dairy products intake on breast cancer (BC) is highly controversial. This study aims to investigate the relationship between dairy intake and BC incidence.Methods: A search was carried out in PubMed, EBSCO, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases before January 2021. The primary endpoint was the relationship between intake of dairy products and BC risk. Results: The meta-analysis comprised 36 articles with 1,019,232 participants. Total dairy products have a protective effect on female population (hazard ratio (HR) =0.95, 95% confidence interval (CI) =0.91-0.99, p=0.019), especially for estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) (HR=0.79, p=0.002) and progesterone receptor-positive (PR+) BC (HR=0.75, p=0.027). For ER+/PR+ BC, there is a trend of protection, but it has not reached statistical significance (HR=0.92, p=0.075). Fermented dairy products can reduce BC risk in postmenopausal population (HR=0.96, 95%CI=0.93-0.99, p=0.021), but have no protective effect on premenopausal population (HR=0.98, 95%CI=0.94-1.03, p=0.52). Non-fermented dairy products have no significant effect on BC occurrence (p>0.05). High-fat dairy products are harmful to women, without statistical difference (HR=1.06, 95%CI=1.00-1.13, p=0.066). On the contrary, low-fat dairy products can protect the premenopausal population (HR=0.94, 95%CI=0.89-1.00, p=0.048).Conclusion: The intake of dairy products can overall reduce BC risk in the female population, but different dairy products have varying effects on different BC subtypes and menopausal status.
Evaluation of Iodine-123 and Iodine-131 SPECT Activity Quantification: A Monte Carlo Study
Authors: Morphis Michaella , Staden Johan A. van , du Raan Hanlie , Ljungberg Michael
Published: June 2021

Purpose: The quantitative accuracy of Nuclear Medicine images, acquired for both planar and SPECT studies, is influenced by the isotope-collimator combination as well as image corrections incorporated in the iterative reconstruction process. These factors can be investigated and optimised using Monte Carlo simulations. This study aimed to evaluate SPECT quantification accuracy for 123I with both the low energy high resolution (LEHR) and medium energy (ME) collimators, and 131I with the high energy (HE) collimator. Methods: Simulated SPECT projection images were reconstructed using the OS-EM iterative algorithm, which was optimised for the number of updates, with appropriate corrections for scatter, attenuation, and collimator detector response (CDR), including septal scatter and penetration compensation. An appropriate conversion factor (CF) was determined from four different source geometries (activity-filled: water-filled cylindrical phantom, sphere in water-filled (cold) cylindrical phantom, sphere in air and point-like source), investigated with different VOI diameters. Recovery curves were constructed from recovery coefficients to correct for partial volume effects (PVEs). The quantitative method was evaluated for spheres in voxel-based digital cylindrical and patient phantoms. Results: The optimal number of OS-EM updates was 60 for all isotope-collimator combinations. The CFpoint with a VOI diameter equal to the physical size plus a 3.0 cm margin was selected, for all isotope-collimator geometries. The spheres’ quantification errors in the voxel-based digital cylindrical and patient phantoms were less than 3.2% and 5.4%, respectively, for all isotope-collimator combinations. Conclusion: The study showed that quantification errors of less than 6.0% could be attained, for all isotope-collimator combinations, if corrections for; scatter, attenuation, CDR (including septal scatter and penetration) and PVEs, are performed. 123I LEHR and 123I ME quantification accuracies compared well when appropriate corrections for septal scatter and penetration were applied. This can be useful in departments that perform 123I studies and may not have access to ME collimators.
Kinetics of the Cationic bio-reduction involved in the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles from Leea Coccinea Leaves
Authors: Novelles María del Carmen Travieso , Pérez Lianet Díaz , Ortega Annie Rubio , Pita Beatriz Alvarez , Hernández Verónica Navarro , Travieso Adrian González , Pérez Oriela Pino
Published: June 2021

The resistance of microorganisms to conventional antimicrobials is one of the most serious health problems that affect not only the human, but also animals and plants, making the search for antimicrobial active ingredients a priority of global research. Green synthesis of antimicrobial silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is a simple, cost-effective, rapid, reproducible, and environment friendly alternative for which numerous plant species have been reported for this purpose. Previous studies have shown the potential of Leea coccinea leaves in to the biosynthesis of antimicrobial silver nanoparticles. The current research aimed to study the kinetics of the reaction of synthesis of AgNPs by cationic bio-reduction from this botanical bioresource. A technology for the synthesis of AgNPs was established and the influence of operational parameters such as the bio-reduction conditions and the kinetics of the reaction were studied. AgNPs were characterized at different times by UV-VIS spectroscopic method, scanning electron microscopy, determination of particle size, and Z potential through Dynamic Light Scattering technique (DLS). Addition of tensoactive substances was evaluated for the stabilization of the suspension of nanoparticles. The results showed that spherical AgNPs smaller than 100 nm were obtained, which were visually identified by the formation of a dark brown complex with maximum absorption at 470 nm. Kinetic studies demonstrated the influence of the initial plant material on speed and performance, making evident a complex phenomenology with the possible occurrence of parallel reactions, which points to the possible reaction of different reducing compounds contained in this natural source. Addition of surface agents, such as SDS (0,5 %) or maltose (0,5 %), improved the stabilization in the aqueous medium, suggesting the continuation of studies to develop pharmaceuticals formulations based on AgNPs.
Clinical Benefit With PARP Inhibitor for Pathogenic Germline FANCA-mutated Relapsed Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: a Case Report
Authors: Qian Bing , Lu Jin , Leng Wenshu , Yan Zhengqing , Chen Shiqing , Yi Huan , Jiang Zhi
Published: June 2021

Background: PARP inhibitors have been approved as targeted therapy for BRCA-deficient metastatic ovarian cancer (OC). Fanconi anemia complementation group A (FANCA) is one of Fanconi anaemia-related genes and a susceptibility gene to breast and OC. However, whether germline FANCA-mutated relapsed epithelial OC could achieve clinical benefit from the treatment of PARP inhibitor is still unclear. Case presentation: A 49-year-old female patient was diagnosed with epithelial OC and underwent resection and first-line of platinum-based chemotherapy in 2016. After first recurrence, she underwent radical resection and received second-line of platinum-based chemotherapy in 2018. After the second relapse in July 2019, the patient underwent radical resection and the corresponding tumor tissue DNA suffered next generation sequencing (NGS) analysis revealed a germline FANCA mutation. Subsequently, the third-line treatment of liposomal doxorubicin hydrochloride plus lobaplatin was administrated for five cycles with patient consent and then oral niraparib (200 mg daily) was administered for maintenance treatment. During the follow-up, no evidence of tumor recurrence was observed. Currently, the PFS already exceeded 21 months and the treatment is still going on. Conclusions: This case highlighted that OC patients harboring with pathogenic gene alterations in homologous recombination pathway might achieved clinical benefit from PARP inhibitors, which should be confirmed in further studies.
Development and Assessment of a Predictive Model for Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Chinese Adults: a Cross-sectional Population-based Study
Authors: Yang Tianmeng , Shi Zhenxiao , Wang Mingming , Zheng Rongjiong , Hu Meiling
Published: June 2021

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a kind of sleep respiratory disease with high prevalence and low diagnosis rate. With the progression of the disease, it will cause multiple organ damage, reduce the quality of life of patients and increase the economic burden. The aim of this study was to develop a predictive model of Chinese population suffering from OSA.Methods:We studied 120 patients who have visited our hospital from August 2018 to December 2020. Physical examination, demographic data, laboratory and ultrasound results and previous medical histories were collected. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator method was used to select the risk factors of OSA and develop a predictive model. The accuracy of the predictive model was evaluated by C-index, calibration plot and receiver operating characteristic curve. The clinical application value of the predictive model was analyzed by decision curve analysis.Results:The predictive model contains 8 risk factors, including gender, body mass index, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, serum uric acid and triglyceride. C-index of this predictive model is 0.898, and the area under curve of ROC curve is 0.894. Decision curve analysis showed that the predictive model was clinically useful.Conclusion:This predictive model could be conveniently used to predict the risk of OSA in the Chinese population.
Automatic Bone Surface Restoration for Markerless Computer-assisted Orthopaedic Surgery
Authors: Hu Xue , Baena Ferdinando Rodriguez y
Published: June 2021

An automatic markerless knee tracking and registration algorithm has been proposed in the literature to avoid the marker insertion required by conventional computer-assisted knee surgery, resulting in a shorter and less invasive surgical workflow. However, such an algorithm considers intact femur geometry only. The bone surface modification is inevitable due to intra-operative intervention. The mismatched correspondences will degrade the reliability of registered target pose. To solve this problem, this work proposed a supervised deep neural network to automatically restore the surface of processed bone. The network was trained on a synthetic dataset that consists of real depth captures of a model leg and simulated realistic femur cutting. According to the evaluation on both synthetic data and real-time captures, the registration quality can be effectively improved by surface reconstruction. The improvement in tracking accuracy is only evident over test data, indicating the need for future enhancement of the dataset and network.
Low Crude Protein Diet Affects the Intestinal Microbiome and Metabolome Differently in Barrows and Gilts
Authors: Tao Xin , Deng Bo , Yuan Qizhi , Men Xiaoming , Wu Jie , Xu Ziwei
Published: June 2021

Background Low protein diets are commonly used in the growing-finishing pig stage of swine production; however, the effects of low dietary protein on the intestinal microbiota and their metabolites, and their association with pig sex, remain unclear. The present study aimed to assess the impact of a low crude protein (CP) diet on the gut microbiome and metabolome, and to reveal any relationship with sex. Results Barrows and gilts (both n= 24; initial body = 68.33 ± 0.881 kg) were allocated into two treatments according to sex. The four groups comprised two pairs of gilts and barrows fed with a high protein diet (HPD, CP 17% at stage Ⅰ; CP 13% at stage Ⅱ) and a low protein diet (LPD, CP 15% at stage Ⅰ; CP 11% at stage Ⅱ), respectively, for 51 d. Eight pigs in each group were slaughtered and their colon contents were collected. Intestinal microbiota and their metabolites were assessed using 16S rRNA sequencing and tandem mass spectrometry, respectively. The LPD increased intestinal microbiota species and richness indices significantly in both sexes compared with the HPD. The Sample Shannon index was significantly different between barrows and gilts. At the phylum level, the LPD increased the relative abundance of Actinobacteria significantly. The influence of dietary protein levels on Proteobacteria and Synergistetes were associated significantly with sex. At the genus level, Clostridiales, Neisseria, and Prevotellaceae were affected significantly by dietary protein levels. In the latter two genera, the effects were significantly different between barrows and gilts. Metabolomic profiling indicated that dietary protein levels mainly affected intestinal metabolites in gilts rather than barrows. A total of 434 differently expressed metabolites were identified in gilts fed the two protein diets. Correlation analysis identified that six differentially abundant microbiota communities were closely associated with twelve metabolites that were enriched for amino acids, inflammation, immune, and disease-related metabolic pathways. Conclusions These results suggested that decreasing dietary protein contents benefitted the intestinal microbiota in growing-finishing pigs, which selectively affected the microbiota and metabolite profiles in gilts.
Parental Experiences Before and After Dialogical Family Guidance in Families With a Child With Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Authors: Cavonius-Rintahaka Diana , Roos Mervi , Gillberg Christopher , Billstedt Eva , Aho Anna Liisa
Published: June 2021

Background: Previous studies have highlighted the need to offer targeted effective interventions to strengthen the wellbeing of all family members in families with children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). Interventions for this target group requires development and research. The purpose of this study was to test a new family intervention (Dialogical Family Guidance / DFG).Method: Fifty families of children with NDD took part in this study. Families were randomized into two groups. Families in Intervention group I were delivered DFG immediately, and families in Intervention group II were delivered DFG after three months. Family functionality, health and support (FAFHES) and DFG intervention parent questionnaires were used to collect data at baseline, and after three and six months. Thirty-four families completed the whole protocol.Results: Intervention group I experienced better family health and family support after DFG compared to baseline, and the experience of increased support remained at the three month follow-up. Intervention group II also experienced better family support after three months compared to baseline, although they were still waiting for DFG to initiate. Intervention group II continued to increase the experience of support throughout DFG. The positive changes were statistically significant concerning the experience of social support.Managing as a parent in daily life and the relationship between parents were associated with family functionality and family health. Most parents` reported that DFG had helped them manage better with their child with NDD, and that they would recommend DFG to other families.Conclusion: The study findings suggest that the DFG intervention may strengthen parent experiences of family support. Managing as a parent in daily life and the relationship between parents was associated with family functionality and family health. DFG parent questionnaire inform that practical guidance, psychoeducation, dialogue with the staff and positive feedback for own parenthood are strengthening factors. Delivering DFG as a family intervention implemented by healthcare staff can be recommended as an additional type of support for families with a child with NDD.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04892992 (retrospective registered)
Multi-source Qualitative Analysis of Emergency Medicine Residency Programmes in Chile: A Case Study
Authors: Basauri Sofia , Scanlan Gillian M , Muir Fiona
Published: June 2021

Background: Emergency Medicine (EM) is a developing specialty worldwide. In Chile, it has been developing for 25 years, however, there is a need for further progress. Aim: We aimed to explore the current postgraduate curriculum in Chile and identify ways to standardise and improve it.Methods: A qualitative case study approach was used to explore perspectives on EM curriculum development via interviewing residents, graduates and programme directors and documentary analysis of academic and governmental guidelines. Both data sets were evaluated through Thematic Analysis.Results: Four documents were analysed, and eight interviews conducted. Three main themes emerged from both data sets: curriculum structure, influence of context and expectations of an Emergency Physician. Additionally, interviews offered a fourth theme: perspectives of EM. They convey how current programmes focus on workplace learning and protected time for learning strategies, however, they differ in clinical exposure and quality of training. As a priority, collaboration was identified, emphasising a need for programmes to work together towards ensuring quality Conclusion: Overall, this study identifies similarities and differences among programmes, and common areas for improvement. There is agreement on the need for a standardized curriculum, considering local context and societal needs. This study assesses curriculum development, understanding cultural, social and educational influences.
A Robust Sleep Apnea-hypopnea Syndrome Automated Detection Method Based on Fuzzy Entropy Using Single Lead-EEG Signals
Authors: Wang Yao , Yang Tianshun , Ji Siyu , Wang Xiaohong , Wang Huiquan , Wang Jinhai , Zhao Xiaoyun
Published: June 2021

Sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome is a relatively common disease, characterized by a repetitive reduction or cessation of respiratory airflow, which seriously affects sleep quality and in the long term, can lead to heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and stroke. Polysomnography is currently the standard method for diagnosing apnea/hypopnea. However, accurate diagnosis can be difficult due to the complex process of multi-signals acquisition in polysomnography. Instead, this paper presents a novel automated fuzzy entropy-based method for detecting apnea/hypopnea using single-lead electroencephalogram signals. The method consists of four steps: (1) The electroencephalogram signals corresponding to respiratory events are partitioned into five sub-bands according to frequency; (2) Features of fuzzy entropy in each sub-band are extracted; (3) The extracted features are evaluated using statistical methods; (4) The features are classified using a classifier, such as the support vector machine, k-nearest neighbor, and random forest algorithms. In this study, data were obtained from a total of 55 subjects with sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome from both a public and clinical database. The experimental results indicated that all of the selected metrics, including accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were close to or above 90% for both publicly available and clinical data. Moreover, this approach is sensitive to all types of sleep apnea/hypopnea, an important aspect that is rarely explicitly discussed in the literature.
Isolation and Characterization of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens TL6 as a Biological Control Agent for Peanut Early Leaf Spot Caused by Passalora arachidicola
Authors: Zang Chao , An Futao , Xie Jinhui , Lin Ying , Yu Shuyi , Pei Xue , Liu Xiaozhou , Huang Yuqian , Liang Chunhao
Published: June 2021

Peanut early leaf spot caused by Passalora arachidicola (Cercospora arachidicola), is a worldwide common fungal disease in peanut leaves, which occurs in all production areas in China. To obtain biocontrol resources to control peanut early leaf spot, 60 healthy peanut leaves were collected from major peanut production areas in Liaoning Province. A total of 563 strains were screened from these leaves. Eighteen strains showed differing levels of resistance against P. arachidicola. Among these strains, strain TL6 inhibited the pathogen most strongly, and the diameter of inhibition zone was 64.3 mm. This strain was able to inhibit 10 other types of pathogens. It was identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens based on its morphological characteristics, physiological and biochemical reactions and a comparative analysis of its 16S rDNA sequence. The fermentation liquor of strain TL6 was effective at controlling peanut early leaf spot, and the field control effect was above 69.17% after spraying the fermentation liquid of TL6. The field control effect was more than 40.96% after spraying the fermentation liquid diluted 200 times. The field control effect of the TL6 fermentation liquid diluted 200 times and including the addition of 500 gL-1 carbendazim diluted 1000 times inhibited P. arachidicola by 81.33%. The combination of TL6 and carbendazim had a significant synergistic effect. This strain of B. amyloliquefaciens shows promise for commercial development and application.
The Proteasome Inhibitor Bortezomib Induces Tongue, Pharynx and Salivary Gland Cancer Cells Death in Vitro and Delays Tumor Growth of Salivary Gland Cancer Cells Transplanted in Mice
Authors: Benvenuto Monica , Ciuffa Sara , Focaccetti Chiara , Sbardella Diego , Fazi Sara , Tundo Grazia Raffaella , Barillari Giovanni , Segni Maria , Manzari Vittorio , Modesti Andrea , Masuelli Laura , Coletta Massimo , Bei Roberto
Published: June 2021

Head and neck cancer (HNC) has frequently an aggressive course for the development of resistance to standard chemotherapy. Thus, the use of innovative therapeutic drugs is being assessed. Bortezomib is a proteasome inhibitor with strong in vitro and in vivo anticancer effects. In vitro antitumoral activity of Bortezomib was investigated employing human pharynx (FaDu), tongue (SCC-15, CAL-27), salivary gland (A-253) cancer cell lines and a murine cell line (SALTO-5) originated from a salivary gland adenocarcinoma arising in BALB-neuT male mice transgenic for the oncogene neu. Bortezomib in vivo effects in BALB-neuT mice transplanted with murine SALTO-5 cells were also examined. Bortezomib inhibited cells proliferation, triggered apoptosis, modulated the expression and activation of pro-survival signal transduction pathways proteins activated by ErbB receptors and inhibited proteasome activity in vitro. Furthermore, intraperitoneal administration of Bortezomib delayed tumor growth of SALTO-5 cells transplanted in BALB-neuT mice and protracted mice survival. Our findings further support the use of Bortezomib for the treatment of HNC and reveal its ineffectiveness in counteracting the activation of deregulated specific signaling pathways in HNC cell lines when resistance to proteasome inhibition is developed.
Impact of Lung Function Decline on Time to Hospitalisation Events in Systemic Sclerosis-associated Interstitial Lung Disease (SSc-ILD): a Joint Model Analysis
Authors: Kreuter Michael , Galdo Francesco Del , Miede Corinna , Khanna Dinesh , Wuyts Wim A. , Hummers Laura K. , Alves Margarida , Schoof Nils , Stock Christian , Allanore Yannick
Published: June 2021

Background: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a common organ manifestation in systemic sclerosis (SSc) and is the leading cause of death in patients with SSc. A decline in forced vital capacity (FVC) is an indicator of ILD progression and is associated with mortality in patients with SSc-associated ILD (SSc-ILD). However, the relationship between FVC decline and hospitalisation events in patients with SSc-ILD is largely unknown. The objective of this post-hoc analysis was to investigate the relationship between FVC decline and clinically important hospitalisation endpoints.Methods: We used data from SENSCIS®, a Phase III trial investigating the efficacy and safety of nintedanib in patients with SSc-ILD. Joint models for longitudinal and time-to-event data were used to assess the association between rate of decline in FVC% predicted and hospitalisation-related endpoints (including time to first all-cause hospitalisation or death; time to first SSc-related hospitalisation or death; and time to first admission to an emergency room [ER] or admission to hospital followed by admission to intensive care unit [ICU] or death) during the treatment period, over 52 weeks in patients with SSc-ILD.Results: There was a statistically significant association between FVC decline and the risk of all-cause (n=78) and SSc-related (n=42) hospitalisations or death (both P<0.0001). A decrease of 3% in FVC corresponded to a 1.43-fold increase in risk of all-cause hospitalisation or death (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.24, 1.65) and a 1.48-fold increase in risk of SSc-related hospitalisation or death (95% CI 1.23, 1.77). No statistically significant association was observed between FVC decline and admission to ER or to hospital followed by admission to ICU or death (n=75; P=0.15). The estimated slope difference for nintedanib versus placebo in the longitudinal sub-model was consistent with the primary analysis in SENSCIS®.Conclusions: The association of lung function decline with an increased risk of hospitalisation suggests that slowing FVC decline in patients with SSc-ILD may prevent hospitalisations. Our findings also provide evidence that FVC decline may serve as a surrogate endpoint for clinically relevant hospitalisation-associated endpoints.Trial registration: Clinialtrials.gov, NCT02597933. Registered 8 October 2015, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT02597933.
The Role of the Complement System Classical and Alternative Pathways in the Pathogenesis of Lacrimal Gland Benign Lymphoepithelial Lesions
Authors: Liu Rui , Li Jing , Sun Mei , Wang Jinjin , Wang Nan , Zhang Xuan , Ge Xin , Ma Jianmin
Published: June 2021

Objective: The complement system plays an important role in chronic inflammation and autoimmune diseases. On the basis of previous studies, this paper further analyzed the role of the complement system classical pathway and alternative pathway in the pathogenesis of lacrimal gland benign lymphoepithelial lesions (LGBLEL).Methods: Six cases of LGBLEL and six cases of orbital cavernous hemangioma (CH), diagnosed by histopathology in Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, between July 2010 and October 2013 were randomly selected for proteomic analysis. Gene ontology (GO) functional enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were used to analyze the signaling pathways of differentially expressed genes and proteins. Four LGBLEL and three orbital CH cases, diagnosed by histopathology in Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, between October 2018 and August 2019, were randomly selected as the experimental group and the control group, respectively. RT-PCR, immunohistochemical staining and western blotting were used to verify the genes and proteins related to the complement system signaling pathway.Results: The expression of complement system signaling pathway in LGBLEL tissue was significantly different (P<0.0001) compared with orbital CH, and C3, C5 and C9 were differentially expressed genes. RT-PCR results showed that mRNA expression levels of C1qA, C3, C5 and C9 related to the complement signaling pathway were higher in LGBLEL tissues than in orbital CH (P<0.0001). Immunohistochemical staining results showed that C1qA, C3, C5 and C9 protein expression was significantly higher in LGBLEL tissues than in orbital CH. Western blotting showed that the levels of C1qA, C3, C5 and C9 proteins were significantly higher in LGBLEL tissues than in orbital CH (P=0.0008; P=0.0375; P=0.0306; P=0.0073, respectively).Conclusion: Both the classical and alternative pathways of complement system are involved in the pathogenesis of LGBLEL.
Quantum Fourier Transform Is the Building Block for Creating Entanglement
Authors: Mastriani Mario
Published: June 2021

This study demonstrates entanglement can be exclusively constituted by quantum Fourier transform (QFT) blocks. A bridge between entanglement and QFT will allow incorporating a spectral analysis to the already traditional temporal approach of entanglement, which will result in the development of new more performant, and fault-tolerant protocols to be used in quantum computing as well as quantum communication, with particular emphasis in the future quantum Internet.
Advanced Metabolic Engineering Approaches and Renewable Energy to Improve Environmental Benefits of Algal Biofuels: LCA of Large-Scale Biobutanol Production with Cyanobacteria Synechocystis PCC6803
Authors: Villacreses-Freire Daniela , Ketzer Franziska , Rösch Christine
Published: June 2021

Microalgae have the potential to serve as sustainable biocatalysts for direct sun-to-bioproduct approaches, e.g. for the synthesis of biofuels. Genetic engineered mutants with a higher photon conversion efficiency of sunlight into biofuels of interest are capable to serve as powerful green cell factories. These advanced metabolic engineering approaches are expected to have environmental benefits, especially for climate protection.The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) on these novel technologies for the continuous production of algal biobutanol are based on unique and until now unpublished data from a pilot plant. Applying an upscaling approach the environmental impacts of algal biobutanol production at large-scale (20 ha plant) are presented for different scenarios. The results of the prospective LCA show that the higher productivity of the genetically engineered cyanobacteria Synechocystis PCC6803 and its specific feature of discharging the product biobutanol into the medium has a positive impact on the environment. However, electricity demand required for algae cultivation and product harvest overcompensates this advantage. The scenario calculations show that a positive climate gas balance can only be achieved if renewable energy is used.These results indicate the importance of genetic engineering and the energy transition for a fully renewable electricity supply to take full advantage of their environmental potential. Besides, the importance of applying upscaling approaches in LCA for a fairer comparison with mature reference technologies is demonstrated.
Stepwise Evolution of Photocatalytic Spinel-Structured (Co,Cr,Fe,Mn,Ni)3O4 High Entropy Oxides from First-Principles Calculations to Machine Learning
Authors: Lin Chia-Chun , Chang Chia-Wei , Kaun Chao-Cheng , Su Yen-Hsun
Published: June 2021

High entropy oxides (HEOx) are novel materials, which increase the potential application in the fields of energy and catalysis. However, a series of HEOx is too novel to evaluate the synthesis properties, including formation and fundamental properties. Combining first-principles calculations with machine learning (ML) techniques, we predict the lattice constants and formation energies of spinel-structured photocatalytic HEOx, (Co,Cr,Fe,Mn,Ni)3O4, for stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric structures. The effects of site occupation by different metal cations in the spinel structure are obtained through first-principles calculations and ML predictions. Our predicted results show that the lattice constants of these spinel-structured oxides are composition-dependent and that the formation energies of those oxides containing Cr atoms are low. The computing time and computing energy can be greatly economized through the tandem approach of first-principles calculations and ML.
Assessment of Student's Knowledge in high Institute of Medical Technology / Abuslim about Tuberculosis diseases
Authors: Amer Hamida Mohammed , Ouhida Amal Almasri
Published: June 2021

Objective: A purposive study aims to identify the student knowledge about tuberculosis disease.Methods: The sample of 140 students was selected from the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth class from the medical departments in high Institute of Medical Technology/abusleem for the period from March 2019 to June 2019. The questionnaire was designed to achieve the aims of study, it was consisting of many parts, the first content the demographic information, the second part include knowledge of students about categories that infected with tuberculosis. The third part include the student knowledge of the signs of disease, the fourth content methods of transmission of disease, and the last part include the student information about the methods of protection of tuberculosis disease. Data were analyzed by using frequency distribution, percentage Results: This study found insufficient TB knowledge in a sample of students, poor knowledge about TB. They must improve knowledge about TB, because these students could be exposed to the Mycobacterium strains during their training activities or when they are employed in private and public health care settings.
Sildenafil for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Pitre Tyler , Khalid Muhammad Faran , Cui Sonya , Zhang Melanie C. , Husnudinov Renata , Mah Jasmine , Helmeczi Wryan , Su Johnny , Banfield Laura , Guy Brent , Scallan Ciaran , Zeraatkar Dena , Jones Aaron
Published: June 2021

Background: Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis have a poor overall prognosis and there are few evidence based drug therapies that reduce mortality. Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to assess whether sildenafil reduces mortality, reduces disease progression and the adverse side effects associated with it. Methods: In this review, randomized controlled studies (RCTs) were retrieved from MEDLINE, Cochrane, and EMBASE. The primary outcome was mortality. The secondary outcomes included change in FVC, acute exacerbations and hospitalizations and adverse drug effects leading to discontinuation. We used an inverse variance random effects meta-analysis method to calculate pooled odds ratio (OR) and standardized mean difference (SMD). Results: A total of 4 studies were included. Sildenafil probably reduces mortality when compared to placebo or to standard care, [OR 0.63 (0.38,1.03), I2=0%]. Pooled results showed sildenafil does not alter the rate of change of FVC [SMD 0.02 (-0.14,0.18)], or DLCO [SMR -0.01 (-0.18,0.17)], I2=0]. Pooled results showed sildenafil may not reduce the number of hospitalizations or acute exacerbations, [OR 1.06 (0.67,1.67)], I2= 0]. There was no significant difference in drug discontinuation due to adverse effects when comparing sildenafil to the control group, [OR 0.79 (0.56, 1.11)], I2=0]. Conclusion: Sildenafil probably reduces all-cause mortality in IPF patients. More studies need to be done in order to confirm the magnitude and reliability of the point estimate.
Flow Over Embankment Gabion Weirs in Free Flow Conditions
Authors: Biabani Roya , Salmasi Farzin , Nouri Meysam , Abraham John
Published: June 2021

Gabion weirs have been widely used in rivers restoration and diversion water projects because of their hydro-environmental aspects and eco-friendly features. In this study, a series of laboratory tests were performed to investigate the effects of side ramp slope, crest length, and porous media properties on the flow regimes, water-surface profiles, discharge coefficients, and energy dissipation in embankment gabion weirs with upstream and downstream slopes. 24 physical models of solid and gabion weirs with three different upstream/downstream slopes (90°, 45° and 26.5°) were created. For gabion weirs, three different filling materials were tested. To investigate the complexity of flow over the porous-fluid interface and through the porous material, three-dimensional (3D) numerical simulations were developed. The results show that decreasing upstream slopes, from 90º to 26.5º, leads to decreased discharge coefficients. However, in all cases, gabion weirs lead to greater discharge coefficients than those of similar solid weirs. For milder side slopes, discharge ratios passing through all faces of the gabion weirs decreased nonlinearly. Moreover, with increasing the inlet discharge, relative energy dissipation was reduced up to 45% in gabion weirs.