bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The HIF2α polymorphism rs4953361 is associated with impaired glucose metabolism in Han Chinese women with infertility
Authors: Zheng Xiaoya , Ma Jiani , Hu Min , Long Jian , Wei Qiang , Ren Wei
Published: March 2022

Objective: To evaluate HIF2α polymorphisms and glucose metabolism in a group of women with and without infertility. Design: Case–control study.Setting: Female infertility patients who visited this reproductive center and age-matched females without infertility who underwent routine health examinations from January 2020 to December 2021.Patients: The study group consisted of 148 women with infertility and 176 women without infertility as healthy controls.Intervention: We genotyped 29 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of HIF2α by using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS)-based genotyping technology. The genetic associations were analyzed statistically.Main Outcome Measures: Allele frequency, genotype distribution and haplotype analysis of the HIF2α polymorphisms. BMI, glucose metabolism and insulin release were also measured. Results: Infertile women had elevated BMI, impaired glucose metabolism, and increased levels of plasma insulin compared to those of healthy women. SNP analysis of HIF2α revealed that the allele and genotype frequencies of rs4953361 were significantly associated with female infertility. Haplotype analysis of HIF2α polymorphism identified haplotypes TGG and TGA as being associated with female infertility. Women with the AA genotype of rs4953361 had a significantly higher BMI and postload plasma glucose and insulin levels than those of women with the GG genotype.Conclusion: This is the first study to report an association between HIF2α polymorphisms and female infertility and glucose and insulin metabolic disorder. These results require replication in larger populations but suggest that the HIF2α polymorphisms may play an important role in female obesity-related infertility. In this observational study, we did not report the results of a health care intervention on human participants. The study was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. Clinical data and peripheral blood samples were collected only after explaining the objectives of the study and obtaining a signed informed consent form.
Transcriptome analysis reveals the mechanism of chronic heat stress on meat quality of broilers
Authors: Liu Zhen , Liu Yingsen , Xing Tong , Li Jiaolong , Zhang Lin , Jiang Yun , Gao Feng
Published: March 2022

Background: Chronic heat stress have a negatively impacts in poultry meat quality. Although the negative impacts of chronic heat stress on meat quality have been intensively studied, previous studies have focused on metabolic changes and oxidative stress in the pectoralis major (PM) under chronic heat stress, which are partial and not all molecular steps are completely understand.Methods: A total of 144 male Arbor Acres broilers (28 d old) were randomly allocated into 3 treatment groups: (1) the normal control (NC) group, broilers were raised at 22 °C and fed a basal diet; (2) the heat stress (HS) group, birds were held at 32 °C and fed a basal diet; (3) the pair-fed (PF) group, birds were held at 22 °C and received the amount of feed equal to the feed consumed on the previous day by the HS group. The experiment was lasted for 14 days.Results: chronic heat stress heat stress decreased the average daily feed intake and average daily gain, increased feed: gain ratio (P < 0.05), and increased drip loss, cooking loss, shear force, hardness, and decreased pH, redness(a*), springiness of pectoralis major (PM) muscle (P < 0.05). Moreover, chronic heat stress decreased muscle fiber density, increased connective tissue, and lead to intracellular vacuolation. The transcriptome results indicated that that the effect of chronic heat stress on meat quality not only related to metabolism and oxidative stress, but also related to signal transduction, immune system, transport and catabolism, cell growth and death and muscle structureConclusions: This study indicate that chronic heat stress have a negative impact on growth performance, meat quality and muscle structure of the pectoralis major (PM) in broilers and provide a comprehensive understanding of the mechanism of chronic heat stress-induced deterioration of broiler meat quality at the transcriptional level.
First Report of a Novel Fusion Protein, IL-4/IL-34/IL-10, Which Promotes Cardiac Allograft Survival Mice Through Alloregulation
Authors: Lee Young S. , Cheng I-Ting , Godoy-Ruiz Raquel , Weber David J. , Scalea Joseph R.
Published: March 2022

Immune mediated graft loss still represents a major risk to transplant recipients. Creative approaches to immunosuppression that exploit the recipient’s own alloregulatory mechanisms could reduce the need for pharmacologic immunosuppression and potentially induce immune tolerance. In the process of studying recipient derived myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), we identified key alloregulatory MDSC mechanisms, mediated by isolatable proteins IL-4, IL-34, and IL-10. We sought to purify these proteins and fuse them for subsequent infusion into transplant recipients as a means of inducing an alloregulatory response. We leveraged molecular engineering technology to create a fusion protein (FP) of three cytokine coding sequences of IL-4, IL-34, and IL-10 and demonstrated their expressions by Western Blot analysis. Following purification, we tested whether FP IL-4/IL-34/IL-10 (FP1) can protect heart transplant allografts. Injection of FP1 significantly prolonged allogeneic cardiac graft survival in a dose-dependent fashion and the increase of graft survival time exceeded survival attributable to IL-34 alone. In vitro, MDSCs cells were expanded by FP1 treatment. However, FP1 did not directly inhibit T cell proliferation in vitro. In conclusion, newly developed FP1 improves the graft survival in cardiac transplantation mouse model. Additional work to optimize FP1 or include other novel proteins could supplement current treatment options for transplant patients.
Significant Effects of Dead Trees on Active Organic Carbon Components and Microbial Communities in Subtropical Forests
Authors: Jiang XingJian , Dang Peng , Yan Wende , Zheng Wei , Xu Yicheng , Chen Yazhen
Published: March 2022

As a vital component of the forest ecosystem, dead wood plays an important role in forest regeneration, species variety, water conservation, soil erosion avoidance, and the carbon cycle. At the moment, dead wood research is mostly concerned with the storage of dead wood in forests and the change of nutritional components throughout the decomposition process. There have been few investigations on the changes in soil active organic carbon components and bacterial community structure during the breakdown of dead wood. To investigate the impact of dead wood on soil active organic carbon components and the structure of microbial communities. we selected the soil under three different decay grades of Castanopsis eyrei dead wood and the forest soil without dead wood as the control. The basic physical and chemical indexes of soil, the composition of soil active organic carbon and the structure of microbial community were measured. Compared with the control group, dead wood mulching significantly increased the content of soil organic carbon and total nitrogen (P < 0.05), and dead wood significantly affected the content of soil active organic carbon (P < 0.05). The easily oxidized organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon and organic carbon under the severe decay dead wood were significantly higher than those in the control (P < 0.05), and the content of activated carbon increased with the increase of decay grade. The relative abundance of Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, WPS-2, Patescibacteria and Bacteroidetes increased with the increase of decay grade of dead wood, and the relative abundance of soil bacteria under dead wood was higher than that of the control. Through the redundancy analysis of environmental factors and soil microbial community, we found soil total nitrogen and pH are the key factors driving microbial community. The distribution of soil bacterial community under light rotten dead wood is similar to that soil without dead wood, which is significantly different from that under moderate and severe rotten dead wood. The abundance of soil bacterial community and soil active organic carbon components are most affected by heavy rotten dead wood. Soil active organic carbon was significantly negatively correlated with Acidobacteria(P < 0.01), and positively correlated with Ktedonobacteria, Bacteroidia, Saccharimonadia and TK10(P < 0.05). The above research results show that dead wood has a great impact on soil physical and chemical properties and microbial community structure. Our study improves the impact of dead wood on soil activated carbon components and microbial community, and provides a theoretical basis for sustainable forest management.
Rapid visual detection of Streptococcus suis and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae using duplex recombinase polymerase amplification combined with lateral flow dipsticks
Authors: Zhang Shanshan , Xie Hongbing , Liu Mingcheng , Zheng Airong , Yan Haixing , Duan Mingyuan , Wei Xiaobing , Hu Jianhe , Zhang Huihui , Xia Xiaojing
Published: March 2022

We established a rapid detection method based on recombinant enzyme polymerase amplification (RPA) for the simultaneous detection and identification of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (A. pleuropneumoniae) and Streptococcus suis (S. suis). A pair of primers and corresponding probes were designed for the glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh) gene of S. suis and the ApxIV gene of A. pleuropneumoniae to establish a dual RPA-LFD detection method for the rapid identification of S. suis and A. pleuropneumoniae. The specificity test showed that the amplification results for Pasteurella, E. coli, Salmonella, S. aureus, H. parasuis and A. hydrophila were all negative, indicating the good specificity of the method. The sensitivity test showed that the lowest nucleic acid concentration that was detectable with this method was 10− 5 ng/µL, which was significantly higher than that of PCR and RPA-Basic. S. suis and A. pleuropneumoniae reference strains, clinical isolates and 45 clinical lung tissue samples were detected with this method. The results showed that this method detected all reference strains and clinical isolates, which was consistent with the PCR detection results. Among the 45 clinical samples, 19 cases of S. suis and 1 case of A. pleuropneumoniae were detected, and there were no mixed infections. The detection rate was higher than that of bacterial isolation and the conventional PCR method, indicating that this method is very practical and suitable for the rapid clinical detection of S. suis and A. pleuropneumoniae. Compared with the traditional method, the dual RPA-LFD method has several advantages including a high specificity, high sensitivity, fast speed (detection time of 20 min) and minimal requirement for instruments and equipment; in addition, the method can realize the synchronous and rapid detection of S. suis and A. pleuropneumoniae and is helpful for the preliminary screening of clinical diseases.
Benefits of Global Earth Observation Missions for Exposure Estimation and Earthquake Loss Modelling – Evidence from Santiago de Chile, Chile
Authors: Geiß Christian , Priesmeier Peter , Pelizari Patrick Aravena , Calderon Angélica Rocio Soto , Schoepfer Elisabeth , Riedlinger Torsten , Vega Mabé Villar , María Hernán Santa , Zapata Juan Camilo Gómez , Pittore Massimiliano , So Emily , Fekete Alexander , Taubenböck Hannes
Published: March 2022

Exposure is an essential component of risk models and describes elements that are endangered by a hazard and susceptible to damage. The associated vulnerability characterizes the likelihood of experiencing damage (which can translate into losses) at a certain level of hazard intensity. Frequently, the compilation of exposure information is the costliest component (in terms of time and labor) of risk assessment procedures. Existing models often describe exposure in an aggregated manner, e.g., by relying on statistical/census data for given administrative entities. Nowadays, earth observation techniques allow the collection of spatially continuous information for large geographic areas while enabling a high geometric and temporal resolution. Consequently, we exploit measurements from the earth observation missions TanDEM-X and Sentinel-2, which collect data on a global scale, to characterize the built environment in terms of constituting morphologic properties, namely built-up density and height. Subsequently, we use this information to constrain existing exposure data in a spatial disaggregation approach. Thereby, we establish dasymetric methods for disaggregation. Results are presented for the city of Santiago de Chile, which is prone to natural hazards such as earthquakes. We present earthquake loss estimations and corresponding sensitivity concerning the resolution properties of the exposure data used in the model. Experimental results show how loss estimations vary substantially from a spatial perspective. As such, this study underlines the benefits of deploying modern earth observation technologies for exposure mapping and related earthquake loss estimation with enhanced accuracy properties.
A case of pulmonary artery intimal sarcoma diagnosed early using surgical biopsy
Authors: Fukuda Shota , Nishino Masaya , Sato Katsuaki , Tomizawa Kenji
Published: March 2022

Background: Pulmonary artery intimal sarcoma (PAIS) is extremely rare and is very difficult to differentiate from pulmonary embolism (PE). Herein, we describe a case in which PAIS was strongly suspected based on clinical findings, and early definitive diagnosis was obtained.Case presentation: A 70-year-old man was referred to our hospital for the investigation of multiple round shadows in the lung fields and an enlarged right pulmonary hilar vasculature on chest radiography. Chest enhanced-computed tomography showed multiple pulmonary nodules, and bilateral non-contiguous shadows in the main pulmonary arteries, extending from the main pulmonary arteries to the periphery on the right side. Pulmonary embolism was clinically excluded because there were no subjective symptoms and the D-dimer level was normal. Positron emission tomography showed abnormal accumulation in the intrapulmonary arterial shadows, pulmonary nodules, and left iliac bone. The patient was clinically diagnosed with a suspected PAIS with multiple pulmonary and bone metastases within 3 days of presentation at our hospital. We performed a thoracoscopic partial resection of the right upper lobe and obtained a histopathological definitive diagnosis of PAIS. As the positive result for MDM2, we attempted to participate in the investigator-initiated clinical trial of anti-MDM2 antibody (DS-3032b) in patients with MDM2 amplified intimal sarcoma (JMA-IIA00402). However, he was not able to participate in the clinical trial due to the lack of MDM2 gene amplification by fluorescence in situ hybridization. He received drug therapy with cytotoxic anticancer agents, a multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor, or an immune checkpoint inhibitor but it was ineffective, and he died nine months after definitive diagnosis.Conclusions: In actual clinical practice, it is important to make early clinical and histological diagnosis, always keeping in mind the possibility of rare lung malignancies.
Identification of Patient Support Groups in Malaysia: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Saw Le Er , Ho Jacqueline , Tan May Loong
Published: March 2022

BackgroundPatient support groups (PSGs) are generally defined as a group of people with common experiences and concerns, and they provide emotional and moral support for one another. Despite their widely reported benefits, there are no studies conducted on the regulation of PSGs in Malaysia and their quality of support. We conducted this exploratory research to identify, map and describe PSGs in Malaysia aimed at identifying PSGs that might be interested in receiving training in understanding and using high-level research evidence such as Cochrane evidence. The ultimate goal is to empower patients to make evidence-based healthcare decisions.MethodsWe performed an online search and contacted practising physicians from various specialties for suggestions of known PSGs. We examined the websites of all identified PSGs and extracted data describing their organisation, purpose and function. Results A total of 44 PSGs meeting our criteria were included. Most of the PSGs identified catered to disease groups, mainly NGOs and informal Facebook groups. Most of them provided support to the patient and their family or caretakers in very similar ways, with some minor variations. About one-third had a stated mission and vision or objectives. None of the PSGs provided a description of their funding policy or provided any statement of awareness of conflict of interest (COI). Where information on funding sources was included it was not clear whether there could be a COI in it. Although the websites did not include advertising, one included a logo of a major pharma company. Only 4 included in any website scientific references to support the information included in the websiteConclusionsPSGs operating in Malaysia have a clear mission statement, vision and objectives on their website describing their intention and role in supporting patients in a holistic manner. They practise a partnership model with their users. Aspects that could be addressed include PSGs’ stance on COI and transparency in sources of funding. There may be a need to engage with PSGs to help them seek feedback from users and to help them understand and use reliable research in their education of their target patient groups.
1H, 13C, and 15N resonance assignments of human glutathione peroxidase 4
Authors: Furuita Kyoko , Inomata Kouki , Sugiki Toshihiko , Kobayashi Naohiro , Fujiwara Toshimich , Kojima Chojiro
Published: March 2022

Glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPx4) behaves as an antioxidant enzyme capable of directly reducing peroxidized phospholipids within cell membranes. Recently, GPx4 has attracted attention as a target molecule for cancer therapy because it induces the immortalization of cancer cells suppressing ferroptosis. In this study, to analyze the function and structure of GPx4 by solution NMR, we performed resonance assignments of GPx4 and assigned almost all backbone 1H, 13C, and 15N resonances and most of the side chain 1H and 13C resonances. Using these assignments, the secondary structure of GPx4 was analyzed by the TALOS + program. GPx4 has six helices and seven strands. Then, the backbone dynamics were examined by the {1H}-15N heteronuclear NOE experiment. GPx4 was found to be rigid except for a short loop region. These results will provide bases for functional analysis and the first solution structure determination of GPx4.
Multi-criteria group decision-making with cloud model and TOPSIS for alternative selection under uncertainty
Authors: Zhang Limao , Chen Weiyi
Published: March 2022

A novel hybrid soft computing approach that integrates the cloud model and the Technique of Order Preference Similarity to the Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) is developed to deal with multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) problems under uncertainty. Cloud models are used to derive linguistic concepts in numerical measures with the consideration of uncertainty. TOPSIS is used to determine the ranking of various alternatives with the evaluation matrices processed by the cloud model. The Monte Carlos simulation is implemented to model the uncertainty underlying the characterization of input factors and obtain their global sensitivities. An evaluation system with 16 criteria is formulated to discover the optimal alternative for tunnel excavation. A realistic tunnel section case in China is selected to demonstrate the adaptability and significance of the proposed approach. Results imply that (1) Among the 5 candidate tunneling methods, the shield tunnel boring machine (TBM) is determined as the optimal method to excavate the tunnel section in the case; (2) The inconsistency in results occur during the simulation in the presence of uncertainty, where there is 13% probability that soft-rock TBM will rank first in the case study; (3) With the increase of Entropy in cloud models, the degree of inconsistency will grow significantly. The developed approach can be used as a decision tool to provide insights into a better understanding of multi-source information fusion for alternative selection uncertainty with variations in the simulation and sensitivity analysis.
Travel related histoplasmosis – a diagnostic challenge in a patient with tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) inhibitor therapy
Authors: Hofmann Eveline , Mühlethaler Konrad , Pollak Matthias , Ott Daniel , Bienz Nora , Zimmerli Stefan , Hirzel Cédric
Published: March 2022

Introduction: In a non-endemic setting, disseminated histoplasmosis is a rare travel-related health problem of immunosuppressed returnees from endemic regions.Methods: We describe the case of a 68-year-old man with rheumatoid arthritis and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) inhibitor treatment-related immunodeficiency, who suffered from disseminated histoplasmosis after traveling to Brazil. Based on this case, we discuss challenges and pitfalls associated with the diagnosis of disseminated histoplasmosis in a non-endemic setting.Results: The disease mimicked a hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) like syndrome. Histoplasma capsulatum was microscopically detected in bronchoalveolar fluid and bone marrow aspirate smears, but was initially misclassified as Leishmania spp., another class of pathogens, which may cause HLH like syndromes in immunocompromised individuals. Discussion: Since the clinical symptoms of histoplasmosis are nonspecific and physicians in non-endemic regions might not be familiar with this disease pattern, there is a risk of delayed diagnosis of travel related cases. Taking a thorough travel history is key in unclear cases of illness in immunocompromised patients.
hsa-miR-181-5p inhibits human immunodeficiency virus type 1 replication by downregulating DDX3X expression
Authors: han dating , lu xiangyun , wu nanping
Published: March 2022

The adverse effects of antiviral therapy have prompted research into novel treatment strategies. miR-181 has been shown to be negatively correlated with the HIV viral load. We predicted that miR-181 could target DDX3X, a host factor involved in HIV nuclear export leading to the inhibiting of HIV replication. To verify our hypothesis, an miR-181 mimic was transfected into Jurkat cells infected with pNL4-3 wild strain and HIV replication-competent H9-IIIB cells. Besides the reporter gene plasmid containing the DDX3x mRNA sequence was transfected into 293T cells. We found that miR-181 significantly reduced HIV viral protein Gag(p24) Tat and Rev and downregulated the expression of mRNAs and protein targeting DDX3X. Our results confirmed that miR-181 was indeed involved in regulating the level of HIV viral replication in lymphocytes by downregulating the level of DDX3X expression. Our research results provide a research basis for the future development of new antiviral drugs for HIV.
Identification of RP11-770J1.4-CTXN1 as an immunomodulatory axis in Low-Grade Glioma
Authors: Zhuang Qiyuan , Liu Chaxian , Hu Yihan , Liu Ying , Lyu Yingying , Liao Yuhen , Chen Liang , Yang Hui , Mao Ying
Published: March 2022

Human gliomas are lethal brain cancers whose progression is complexly regulated. Emerging evidence reveals that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), functioning as competing endogenous RNAs, participate in regulatory networks in tumors. Here, we comprehensively integrated and analyzed expression profiles for RNAs in low-grade glioma (LGG). Functional annotation analysis suggested that immune-related signature is involved in progression of glioma. Importantly, survival analysis showed that features in networks exhibited close relations to the prognosis. Further experiments showed that RP11-770J1.4 regulated the expression of CTXN1 by sponging hsa-miR-124-3p. Correlation analysis and GSEA enrichment revealed that RP11-770J1.4 is an immune-related lncRNA. Single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) combined with glioma stem cells (GSCs) model and patient samples revealed CTXN1 distributed mainly in tumor core, rather than periphery. Utilizing immunohistochemistry staining in low-grade glioma cases, CTXN1 negatively correlated to CD8+ T cells infiltration. Knocking down Ctxn1 in GL261 cell decreased tumor weight and prolong survival time in vivo, while increased tumor CD8+ T cells infiltration. These findings revealed RP11-770J1.4-CTXN1 as novel immune regulator axis in glioma and provided potential therapeutic targets for LGG treatment.
Vitamin D status in Psoriasis: Impact and Clinical Correlations
Authors: Bhat Ghulam Hassan , Guldin Sadaf , Khan Mosin Saleem , Yasir Mir , Prasad Ganesh
Published: March 2022

Psoriasis is a continuing, periodic, immune‑mediated, fiery skin disease branded by hyper proliferation of epidermal keratinocytes and accompanying with inflammatory cellular infiltrate in both dermis and epidermis. Immunomodulation could be an important effect of vitamin D in Psoriasis. This case-control study was designed to measure serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels in patients with psoriasis and healthy controls and to find out clinical correlation, if any. Two hundred forty (n=240) subjects (120 cases and 120 controls) were taken for the study. Cases and controls were frequency matched with respect to age, gender and smoking status. Various demographic and clinical details were taken using a questionnaire. Chemiluminescence Micro Particle Immunoassay was used to estimate serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels. The vitamin D deficiency in psoriasis patients was 60.0% vs. 17.5% in controls (P<0.001) with mean vitamin D levels of 28.3 ± 13.9 ng/ml in psoriasis patient’s vs 37.9 ± 9.7 ng/ml in controls. Vitamin D deficiency was found to be associated with psoriasis independently of gender, age, smoking status, family history, hypertension, chronic medication, nail changes, duration of symptoms and severity of disease. Vitamin D levels were seven times lower in patients with Psoriasis as compared to controls. Reduced vitamin D levels are related to duration and clinical severity of the disease. Early detection of vitamin D deficiency and timely intervention could lead to better clinical outcome and improved quality of life in psoriasis patients.
Tissue Characteristics of Residual Lesion in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome Caused by Plaque Rupture Versus Plaque Erosion: A Single-center, Retrospective, Observational Study
Authors: Ando Hirohiko , Suzuki Wataru , Ohashi Hirofumi , Nakano Yusuke , Takashima Hiroaki , Fujimoto Masanobu , Sawada Hiroaki , Goto Reiji , Suzuki Akihiro , Sakurai Shinichiro , Amano Tetsuya
Published: March 2022

PurposePatients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), frequently caused by plaque rupture (PR), often have vulnerable plaques in residual and culprit lesions. However, whether this occurs in patients with plaque erosion (PE) as well is unknown. Therefore, we compared the tissue characteristics of residual lesions in patients with PE and those with PR.MethodsThe data of 88 patients with ACS who underwent both optimal coherence tomography (OCT) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) were retrospectively analyzed. Based on plaque morphology of the culprit lesions identified using OCT, patients were classified into PE and PR groups. The tissue characteristics of residual lesions evaluated using integrated backscatter IVUS were compared between the two groups after percutaneous coronary intervention. ResultsPatients were classified into the PE group (n=23) and PR group (n=35). The PE group had a significantly lower percent lipid volume and a higher percent fibrous volume than those of the PR group (35.0±17.8% vs. 49.2±13.4%, p<0.001; 63.2±17.1% vs. 50.3±13.1%, p=0.002, respectively). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that the percent lipid volume in the residual lesions was a significant discriminant factor in estimating the plaque morphology of the culprit lesion (optimal cut-off value, <43.5%; sensitivity and specificity values were 73.9% and 68.6%, respectively).ConclusionsPatients with PE had a significantly lower percent lipid volume and a significantly higher percent fibrous volume in the residual lesions than in those with PR, suggesting that the nature of coronary plaques in patients with PE is different from that in patients with PR.
Individual experience influences reconstruction of division of labour under colony disturbance in a queenless ant species (Diacamma cf. indicum)
Authors: Tanaka Yasunari , Hojo Masaru K. , Shimoji Hiroyuki
Published: March 2022

BackgroundDivision of labour (DOL) is ubiquitous across biological hierarchies. In eusocial insects, DOL is often characterized by age-related task allocation, but workers can flexibly change their tasks, allowing for DOL reconstruction in fluctuating environments. Behavioural change driven by individual experience is regarded as a key to understanding this task flexibility. However, experimental evidence for the influence of individual experience is remains sparse. Here we tested the effect of individual experience on task choice in the queenless ponerine ant (Diacamma cf. indicum) from Japan.ResultsWe confirmed that both nurses and foragers shifted to vacant tasks when the colony composition was biased to one or the other. We also found that task-shifted foragers continue nursing for a long time in disturbed colonies, whereas task-shifted nurses persist in their original task, even if they recently foraged. ConclusionsTaken together, our results suggest that individual experience decreases the response threshold of original foragers, as they continue to be specialist nurses in a disturbed colony. However, original nurses do not appear strongly affected by having forager experience and revert to being nurses. Therefore, while individual experience does have an effect, other factors, such as reproductive ability, are clearly required to understand DOL maintenance in fluctuating environments.
Treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture by precise injection and staged perfusion of bone cement kyphoplasty: a comparison study
Authors: Huang Jian , Huang Jun , Zhou Zongbo , Lu Zhifu , Fu Chuangong
Published: March 2022

Study design: Retrospective cohort study.Objective: To explore the clinical effect of precise injection and staged perfusion of bone cement kyphoplasty in the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture.Methods: 110 patients treated with kyphoplasty from January 2020 to June 2021 were selected and divided into experimental group (n = 55) and control group (n = 55) according to different surgical methods. The experimental group was treated with precise injection and staged perfusion of bone cement kyphoplasty, while the control group was treated with traditional kyphoplasty. The operation time,intraoperative blood loss and amount of bone cement injection were recorded. The pain improvement was evaluated by VAS score. The operation effect were evaluated by anterior height of injured vertebral body, middle height of injured vertebral body, wedge angle of injured vertebral body and distribution grade of bone cement. The incidence of surgical complications was evaluated by the number of bone cement leakage.Results: There were no significant difference in the operation time, intraoperative blood loss and the amount of bone cement injection in two groups. There were no significant difference in VAS scores at 2h, 4h and 48h after operation between the two groups (P > 0.05); There were no significant difference in the ratio of anterior height of injured vertebral body between the two groups on the third day after operation and the last follow-up (P > 0.05); There were no significant difference in the ratio of middle height of injured vertebral body between the two groups on the third day after operation and the last follow-up (P > 0.05); There were no significant difference in wedge angle of injured vertebral body between the two groups at the third day after operation and the last follow-up (P > 0.05). There was significant difference in the distribution grade of bone cement between the two groups (P < 0.01); There was significant difference in the number of bone cement leakage between the two groups (P < 0.01), In cases of bone cement leakage, there were 1 case of type C, 1 case of type S in the experimental group, 7 cases of type C and 2 cases of type S in the control group.Conclusion: Precise injection and staged perfusion of bone cement kyphoplasty in the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture can effectively reduce surgical complications and improve surgical efficacy.
Kadın Dostu Kentlerde Hobi Kurslarına Yönelik Ciddi Boş Zaman Yaklaşımı: Yiyecekİçecek Odaklı Kurslar (Hobby Courses for Women with Serious Leisure Perspective in Women-Friendly Cities)
Authors: Toker Fidel , Mavi Esra Ebru
Published: March 2022

Merkezi ve yerel yönetimler, vatandaşlara hizmet sunmak amacıyla oluşturulan örgütlenme biçimleridir. Belediyelerin temel görevi vatandaşların gereksinim ve isteklerini karşılamaktır. İhtiyaç ve taleplere binaen kentte sunulan ekonomik, sosyal ve siyasi fırsatlardan kent sakinlerinin eşit şekilde yararlanabilmesi ve toplumsal yapıda kırılgan/dezavantajlı gruplar içinde değerlendirilen kadınlara yönelik hizmet anlayışı, Kadın Dostu Kentleri gündeme getirmiştir. Çalışmada, Türkiye’de kadın dostu olarak nitelendirilen 12 ildeki büyükşehir belediyelerinde, kadınlara yönelik düzenlenen hobi kursları ciddi boş zaman perspektifiyle incelenmiştir. İkincil veri toplama yönteminden yararlanılarak belediyelerin web sayfalarında ilan edilen kurslardan, kadınların toplum içindeki geleneksel rollerini pekiştirmesi bakımından, çalışmada yalnızca yeme-içme odaklı olanlara yer verilmiştir. Kadın Dostu Kent belediyeleri tarafından yürütülen yeme içme odaklı bu kurslar, ister hobi amaçlı olsun isterse ciddi boş zaman yaklaşımıyla ileride profesyonel bir mesleğe dönüşsün, kadınların özel alan/hane içinden çıkarak kamusal alanda da varlık göstermesini sağlamaktadır. Kadın Dostu Kent Projesinin devamı niteliği taşıması bakımından, bu kentlerdeki belediyelerde yeme içme kurslarına katılım göstermiş kadınların da içinde yer alacağı bir yapı üzerinde çalışılması mümkündür. Hobi kurslarını tamamlayan kadınların hobiyi iş edinerek kayıtlı istihdama katılımında kitle fonlaması benzeri bir yöntemin kullanılması ve bu fikrin “kursiyerden işverene” adıyla yeme içme odaklı meslekler için bilimsel bir tasarıya dönüştürülmesi önerilmektedir.
Does the Tempo of the Music Playing in Restaurants Affect the Eating Time
Authors: Şahin Esra
Published: March 2022

The effect of musical tempo on eating and drinking behavior is a controversial subject. In this study, the effects of musical tempo on eating time under different conditions (with no-music, fasttempo music, and slow-tempo music) have been studied. The same menu (including meat, rice, and garnish) has been served to 30 participants selected with the snowball sampling model, and their eating times have been measured under three different conditions. At the same time, their emotional engagement, memory, cognitive load, and attention levels have been measured with the data obtained from EEG and GSR devices. The results have shown that the musical tempo has no significant effect on the participants' eating time and neurometric parameters.
A Research on Hygiene and Ergonomics in Kitchens
Authors: Sarıoğlan Mehmet , Battal Sevcan
Published: March 2022

This can be met effectively with ergonomics. Today's restaurants have a modern and stylish appearance. However, the interaction between hygiene, an indispensable element in industrial kitchens, and ergonomics should provide the same quality in the kitchens. In the literature, it is seen that hygiene is promoted more effectively and easily in workplaces designed under ergonomic conditions. Accordingly, the main purpose of the study can be expressed as the determination of the relationship between ergonomic factors and hygienic conditions in the kitchen of an international five-star hotel in Istanbul. The study was carried out by interview method, a qualitative data collection tool, with 31 chefs working at different hierarchical levels in a five-star international hotel in Istanbul. As a result, the concluded that the promotion of hygiene in ergonomically designed kitchens is more difficult than the kitchens without ergonomic design, the planning of the working areas in a way that will ensure the safety and efficiency of the staff can maximize the efficiency to be obtained from that business, and the ergonomically designed kitchens can increase the productivity of the staff and hygiene of the equipment.
Hızlı Yemek Ürünlerinin Sağlık Üzerine Etkileri ve Tercih Nedenleri Üzerine Bir Araştırma (A Research On The Effect Of Fast Food Products On Health And The Reasons For Preference)
Authors: Sayın Kürşad
Published: March 2022

Hızlı yemek (fast food) türü beslenme günümüzde kısa sürede, hızlı ve kolay bir şekilde yemeye hazır hale gelen, seri üretim yoluyla üretilip, ticari amaçlı satılan, gıdanın özeliliğinden ziyade hizmet hızına odaklanılan bir beslenme pratiği ve besin biçimidir. Tüketiminin aşırı derecede yapılması insan sağlığına zarar vermektedir. Son yıllarda zararları bilinmesine rağmen beslenme açısından fast food tarzı beslenme oldukça yaygın bir hal almaktadır. Mersin’de bulunan büyük bir alışveriş merkezinde yabancı kaynaklı fast food (hızlı yemek) ürünleri tüketen tüketicilerin, ürünlerin sağlıklı olup olmadığı, üretim ortamının hijyenik (sağlıklı) olup olmadığına dair algıları ile ürünleri tercih nedenlerinin araştırılması amaçlanmıştır. Fast food ürünlerin sağlık açısından zararlı olmasına rağmen son yıllarda tüketiminin artması ve tüketicilerin sağlık ve hijyen algısına yönelik çok fazla çalışmaya rastlanmamış olması araştırmayı önemli kılmaktadır. Araştırmada, öncelikle ilgili literatür taranmış, konuyla ilgili ön görüşmeler yapılmış daha sonra on iki sorudan oluşan soru formu oluşturulmuştur. Mersin’de büyük bir alışveriş merkezinin içerisinde bulunan farklı yiyecek – içecek ürünleri üreten işletmelerin bulunduğu yerdeki sadece uluslararası fast food hizmeti veren (McDonald, Burger Hot vb.) işletmelerden faydalanan kırk bir kişiyle gönüllük esasına göre görüşme yapılmış, sorular sorulmuş, cevaplar not edilmiş ve değerlendirilmiştir. Yapılan literatür araştırması sonucunda fast food tarzı yiyeceklerin birçok hastalığa yol açtığı sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Görüşme sorularına verilen cevaplara göre ise uluslararası fast food işletmelerinden hizmet alan tüketicilerin genel olarak hamburger ve pizzayı tercih etmelerine rağmen, Türk tarzı fast food (döner vb.) yiyecekleri de tercih ettikleri, Mersin’e özel tantuniyi ise çok fazla tercih etmedikleri sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Ayrıca katılımcıların fast food tarzı yiyecek ve içeceklerin sağlığa zararlı olduğu, bu işletmelerde hijyen kurallarına uyulmadığı algısına sahip oldukları, fakat lezzetli ve pratik olduğunu düşündüklerinden dolayı fast food ürünlerini tercih ettikleri sonucuna da ulaşılmıştır.
Destinasyon Pazarlamasında Mutfak Kültürünün Rolü: Sakarya Örneği (The Role of Cuisine Culture in Destination Marketing: Sakarya Case)
Authors: Baran Züleyhan , Batman Orhan
Published: March 2022

Destinasyon çekiciliği konusunda mutfak kültürü önemli bir unsur olarak değerlendirilmektedir. Araştırmanın konusu, bir kentin mutfak kültürünün destinasyon çekiciliği ve kentin tanıtımı açısından öneminin belirlenmesi üzerine kurgulanmıştır. Bu amaçla geleneksel mutfağa ait özelliklerin destinasyon pazarlamasında nasıl kullanılabileceğine dair alan araştırması yapılması ön görülmüştür. Bunun için farklı kültürleri içinde barındıran Sakarya ili tercih edilmiştir. Araştırmada detaylı bilgi edinebilmek için nitel araştırma tekniklerinden derinlemesine görüşme yöntemi tercih edilmiştir. Bu konuda tanıtımda önemli rolü olduğu düşünülen ve müşteri sirkülasyonu fazla olan birinci sınıf restoranların yöneticileriyle görüşmeler yapılmıştır. Yapılan görüşmeler sonucunda, geleneksel mutfak kültürüne has birçok yiyecek-içeceğin tercih edilme oranının oldukça yüksek olduğu sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Geleneksel mutfak kültürü ile önemli düzeyde bir destinasyon çekiciliğine sahip olduğu anlaşılan Sakarya ilinin destinasyon pazarlaması kapsamındaki potansiyelinin değerlendirilmesine dair tavsiyelerde bulunulmuştur.
Genetic variants of congenital glaucoma. Analysis of the literature and description of the clinical case
Authors: Katargina L. A. , Kadyshev V. V. , Sorokin A. A. , Pleskova A. V. , Zinchenko R. A.
Published: March 2022

Purpose. Description of a clinical case of a patient with congenital glaucoma and mutations in the CYP1B1 gene, taking into account the analysis of literature data.Material and methods. The following methods were used to examine the patient: standard ophthalmological examination, EPI (VEP for flash, mERG and rERG) and fundus photoregistration, molecular genetics study of the CYP1B1 gene. DNA research was carried out by the method of direct automatic sequencing according to Sanger (the biomaterial was used — venous blood).Results. The article describes a clinical case of congenital glaucoma in a child with an early (from birth) manifestation of glaucoma, a distant stage at the time of examination, at the age of 2 years 6 months. Revealed pronounced clinical, functional and structural changes in the eyes, as well as changes in electrophysiological parameters. The previously described pathogenic variants of the nucleotide sequence 1330C> T (p.Arg444 *) and c.1405C> T (Arg469Trp) in heterozygous states were found in the CYP1B1 gene.Conclusion. The severity of the clinical course of congenital glaucoma in the described clinical case is presumably due to mutations in the CYP1B1 gene. A timely, interdisciplinary approach to diagnosis is key to successful treatment of glaucoma in children.
Cataract surgery in patients with age-related macular degeneration: questions and controversies
Authors: Dmitrieva E. I. , Fursova A. Zh. , Nikulich I. F. , Kim T. J. , Gamza Yu. A.
Published: March 2022

The issue of surgical treatment of cataracts in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is important due to a high incidence of the comorbid course of the two diseases. The effectiveness of phacoemulsification of cataract (FEC) in patients with AMD, its influence on the course of AMD, the characteristics of visual functions, and the quality of life of these patients are still controversial. The study of risk factors for the development of choroidal neovascularization, the influence of the characteristics of surgical treatment and the number of injections on the incidence of intraoperative complications seems to be quite relevant for understanding the possible mechanisms of AMD progression after FEC. This study is instrumental in the development of measures preventing the reactivation of the pathological process, improving visual functions and the quality of life of patients after surgical treatment of cataracts. The range of contraindications for FEC in patients with neovascular AMD is rather limited , and continuation of anti-VEGF therapy stops active exudation and increases visual acuity in patients with neovascular AMD. Maintaining functional parameters, improving peripheral vision, contrast sensitivity, improving the quality of OCT imaging provides both significant benefits for the patient and boosts the control of the disease, increasing the accuracy of monitoring.
Quality of life as viewed from cataract surgery: traditional and perspective approaches
Authors: Pokrovsky D. F. , Ovechkin N. I. , Yudin V. E. , Ovechkin I. G.
Published: March 2022

The review presents an analysis of traditional and promising approaches to assessing the quality of life (QoL) in cataract surgery. Literature data indicate statistically significant correlations between QoL and objective indicators of the visual system both during the initial examination of the patient and, more importantly, in the course of therapy. Traditional approaches to the study of QoL in cataract surgery reveal a trend towards the development of targeted questionnaires featuring optimized psychometric testing of questions and the procedure for scaling answers. New QoL questionnaires are developed in order to improve the collection and evaluation of information by taking into account the quantitative assessment of patient complaints made by an expert ophthalmologist, who can reliably evaluate their impact on QoL. It also seems appropriate to use the "International Classification of Functioning, Disabilities and Health", develop more targeted questionnaires aimed at assessing modern aspects of cataract surgery, and optimize the study itself.
The correlation of acoustic and morphometric parameters of the optic nerve and anthropometric data in healthy young people
Authors: Neroev V. V. , Kiseleva T. N. , Baeva A. V. , Eliseeva E. K. , Zhuravleva A. N. , Ushakov A. I. , Lugovkina K. V. , Sudovskaya T. V. , Myshko I. V.
Published: March 2022

Purpose: to study the correlation between the acoustic and morphometric parameters of the optic nerve (ON) and anthropometric data in healthy young people.Material and methods. The research involved 24 healthy volunteers (48 eyes), including 9 men and 15 women, the average age was 25.0 ± 1.9 years. Anthropometry included measurements of height, weight, and body mass index (BMI). Ultrasound examination of the retrobulbar part of the ON included measurement of the thickness of the ON with and without sheath, echodensitometry of the ON, and ocular biometry. Using optical coherence tomography, we measured the intraocular part of the ON, including the registration of Bruch's membrane opening and ovality index.Results. The average ON thickness with the sheath was 4.6 ± 0.3 mm, and without sheath, 2.6 ± 0.2 mm. In men, ON with the sheath was thicker than in women (p = 0.001). The acoustic density of the parenchyma of the orbital part of ON was 101.2 ± 11.4 r.u. in women, the mean acoustic density of the ON was significantly higher than that in men. Correlation analysis revealed a statistically significant correlation between the height and the thickness of the ON with the sheath (r = 0.480). The strongest reliable correlation was established between the index of the ON thickness and body weight (r = 0.712) and BMI (r = 0.509) (p < 0.05). No statistically significant correlation was found between the morphometric parameters of the optic disc, anthropometry data and acoustic parameters of the ON.Conclusion. Studying the acoustic and morphometric characteristics of the intraocular and intraorbital parts of the ON in healthy young people, which included anthropometric data and gender characteristics, will contribute to the development more accurate diagnostic criteria of ON state evaluations.
Yeraltı Kömür Maden Makinaları Operatörlerinin Gürültü ve TitreĢim Maruziyetlerinin AraĢtırılması
Authors: EROL İlknur
Published: March 2022

Bu çalışmada, bir yeraltı kömür işletmesinde makina operatörlerinin maruz kaldıkları gürültü ve titreşim değerleri ölçülmüştür. Elde edilen sonuçlar gürültü ve titreşim yönetmelikleri kapsamında değerlendirilmiştir. Kulak koruyucu kullanan tüm makina operatörlerinin maruz kaldıkları gürültü değerlerinin yönetmelikte belirtilen sınır değerin altında olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Ölçüm yapılan makinalar arasında, en fazla gürültü ve el-kol titreşimine martoperfaratör operatörü maruz kalmıştır. Operatörlerin titreşim maruziyetinin yanısıra makinaların titreşim değerleri de ölçülmüştür. Paletli jumbo ve lastik tekerlekli jumbo makinalarının titreşim değerleri arasındaki fark, yolun pürüzlülüğü, motor titreşimleri ve seyir hareketlerine bağlı olarak değişmektedir. Ayrıca, operatörlerin bireysel gürültü maruziyetleri ile titreşim maruziyetleri arasında R2 =% 88’lik bir ilişki tespit edilmiştir.