bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of COVID-19 on the 937 Telephone Medical Consultation Service in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alhraiwil Najla J. , Al-Aqeel Sinaa , AlFaleh Amjad F. , AlAgeel Alaa A. , AlAbed Mostafa A. , Al-Shroby Walid A.
Published: January 2022

The impact of COVID-19 on healthcare services has been profound. One major impact has been underutilization of traditional healthcare services by patients. In 2020, the Saudi Ministry of Health (MoH) started offering general COVID-19 enquiries, education, and medical and psychological consultations around the clock via their 937-Call Center. Given this major change, there was a need to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Call Center services, specifically medical consultations, to suggest future recommendations for patient care optimization. This descriptive study analyzed routinely collected data on the 937-Call Center service between March 2020 and September 2020. Data were reviewed, coded, verified, and analyzed using SPSS v22. There was a 296% increase in the number of calls received by the 937-Call Center in 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. The majority of calls received in 2020 were general medical enquiries (98.41%), but about three million COVID-19-specific enquiries were also received in 2020. The increased number of calls was managed by accepting volunteers to handle calls: an average of 236 volunteers per month, handling about 20% of the total call volume. The majority of volunteers were physicians but with the presence of pharmacists, psychologists, and specialized healthcare workers such as nutritionists. Utilization of the 937-Call Center increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting that it has been an effective strategy for combatting the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. Further research is recommended to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on public awareness of the 937-Call Center and other health-related mobile apps.
Impact of Physical Activity and Medication Adherence on the Seizure Frequency and Quality of Life of Epileptic Patients: A Population Study in West Texas
Authors: Lee YoonJung , Ahn Yeseul , Cucullo Luca
Published: January 2022

Epilepsy is a neurological disease that affects 1‐3% of the population. People with epilepsy (PWE) have poor physical and psychological health and a lower quality of life (QOL) than people without epilepsy. Moreover, PWE has more comorbid conditions (obesity, depression) than general populations. Physical activity (PA) has been reported to have various positive physical and psychological effects in PWE. Meanwhile, poor medication adherence is one of the main precipitating factors for seizure triggers. This study assessed the impact of PA and medication adherence on the seizure frequency and QOL for PWE at the Epilepsy Foundation, West Texas (EFWT). Our results indicate that PA is positively associated with the quality of life and negatively associated with the seizure frequency for PWE at EFWT, which suggests that physically active PWE tend to have fewer seizures and better QOL. Medication adherence did not affect the seizure frequency or QOL in our study. Yet, it is still crucial to encourage medication adherence for PWE since nonadherence is a known seizure promoter. Findings from this study highlight the continuous need to utilize available resources and implement programs to promote physical activity and medication adherence for better seizure control and QOL in PWE at EFWT.
The Antitumor Effect of TPD52L2 Silencing on Oxaliplatin-Resistant Gastric Carcinoma Is Related to Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress In Vitro
Authors: Zhang Yu , Yang Dejun , Wei Ziran , Zhang Xin , Hu Zunqi , Fu Hongbing , Xu Jiapeng , Wang Weijun
Published: January 2022

Tumor protein D52-like 2 or simply TPD52L2 belongs to the TPD52 family which has been implicated in a variety of human carcinomas. However, the TPD52L2 function in the gastric carcinoma oxaliplatin (OXA) resistance remains elusive. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the TPD52L2 effect in OXA-resistant gastric carcinoma cells in vitro. Oxaliplatin-resistant gastric carcinoma cells were generated in MGC-803 and SGC-7901 cells. siRNA-mediated knockdown of TPD52L2 was investigated in OXA-resistant MGC-803-OXA and SGC-7901-OXA cells. qRT-PCR was performed to assess the expression level of TPD52L2 mRNA. TPD52L2 protein expression level, apoptosis, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-associated proteins were identified via immunoblotting analysis. MTT assay was conducted for the evaluation of cell viability, while colony-forming activity was carried out via crystal violet staining. SGC-7901-OXA and MGC-803-OXA cells were found to be more resistant to OXA, as compared to the parental cell lines. The expression of TPD52L2 was found to be upregulated in OXA-resistant cells. Knockdown of TPD52L2 suppressed cell colony-forming potency, cell growth, and development in OXA-resistant cells. TPD52L2 knockdown also enhanced the PARP and caspase-3 cleavage. ER-associated proteins such as PERK, GRP78, CHOP, and IRE1α were found to be elevated in TPD52L2 knockdown cells. ER stress might be involved in TPD52L2 knockdown-induced apoptosis in OXA-resistant gastric carcinoma cells.
Allium cepa: A Treasure of Bioactive Phytochemicals with Prospective Health Benefits
Authors: Chakraborty Arka Jyoti , Uddin Tanvir Mahtab , Matin Zidan B. M. Redwan , Mitra Saikat , Das Rajib , Nainu Firzan , Dhama Kuldeep , Roy Arpita , Hossain Md. Jamal , Khusro Ameer , Emran Talha Bin
Published: January 2022

As Allium cepa is one of the most important condiment plants grown and consumed all over the world, various therapeutic and pharmacological effects of A. cepa were reviewed. Onion (Allium cepa) is a high dietary fiber-rich perennial herb that is placed under the family Amaryllidaceae. It contains high concentration of folic acid, vitamin B6, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus as well as vitamins and minerals. It is widely used as an antimicrobial agent, but it showed anticancer, antidiabetic, antioxidant, antiplatelet, antihypertensive, and antidepressant effects and neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and antiparasitic effects and so on. It is said to have beneficial effects on the digestive, circulatory, and respiratory systems, as well as on the immune system. This review article was devoted to discussing many health benefits and traditional uses of onions in pharmacological perspectives, as well as the safety/toxicological profile. If more detailed research on this perennial herb is conducted, it will open the door to an infinite number of possibilities.
LPI Radar Waveform Recognition Based on Neural Architecture Search
Authors: Ma Zhiyuan , Yu Wenting , Zhang Peng , Huang Zhi , Lin Anni , Xia Yan
Published: January 2022

In order to reach the intelligent recognition, the deep learning classifiers adopted by radar waveform are normally trained with transfer learning, where the pretrained convolutional neural network on an external large-scale classification dataset (e.g., ImageNet) is used as the backbone. Though transfer learning could effectively avoid overfitting, transferred models are usually redundant and might not generalize well. To eliminate the dependence on transfer learning and achieve high generalization ability, this paper introduced neural architecture search (NAS) to search the suitable classifier of radar waveforms for the first time. Firstly, one of the innovative technologies in NAS called differentiable architecture search (DARTS) was used to design the classifier for 15 kinds of low probability intercept radar waveforms automatically. Then, a method with an auxiliary classifier called flexible-DARTS was proposed. By adding an auxiliary classifier in the middle layer, the flexible-DARTS has a better performance in designing well-generalized classifiers than the standard DARTS. Finally, the performance of the classifier in practical application was compared with related work. Simulation proves that the model based on flexible-DARTS has a better performance, and the accuracy rate for 15 kinds of radar waveforms can reach 79.2% under the −9 dB SNR which proved the effectiveness of the method proposed in this paper for the recognition of radar waveforms.
Results on Boundary Control for Parabolic Systems Using Backstepping Method
Authors: Mathiyalagan K. , Renugadevi T. , Shree Nidhi A.
Published: January 2022

This paper focuses on the stabilization problem for the linear parabolic system using the backstepping method. The exponentially stability results for considered parabolic system are derived in two cases with Dirichlet and Neumann local terms. Also, the boundary conditions for the problem is assumed to be mixed or Robin-type boundary conditions. The main aim is to achieve the stability of the considered system using the backstepping method with help of Volterra integral transformation. The explicit solutions of kernel functions in integral transformation is obtained by using Laplace transform and designed a boundary control law to the closed-loop system. Finally, the effectiveness and applicability of the derived results are validated through a single-species pattern generation model.
Setting Up a Teleneurology Clinic during COVID-19 Pandemic: Experience from an Academic Practice
Authors: Katyal Nakul , Narula Naureen , Govindarajan Raghav , Sahota Pradeep
Published: January 2022

The declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated rapid implementation of telehealth across all neurological subspecialties. Transitioning to telehealth technology can be challenging for physicians and health care facilities with no prior experience. Here, we describe our experience at the Neurology and Sleep Disorders Clinic at the University of Missouri-Columbia of successful transition of all in-person clinic visits to telehealth visits within a span of 2 weeks with a collaborative effort of clinic staff and the leadership. Within a month of launch, 18 clinic providers with no prior telehealth experience conducted 1451 telehealth visits, which was the 2nd highest number of telehealth visits conducted by any department at the University of Missouri-Columbia Health Care system. Lack of connectivity, poor video/audio quality, and unavailability of smart devices among rural populations were the important shortcomings identified during our telehealth experience. Our study highlighted the need for expansion of high-speed internet access across rural Missouri. We hope our experience will help other health care facilities to learn and incorporate telehealth technology at their facilities, overcome the associated challenges, and serve patient needs while limiting the spread of the COVID-19.
Red Cell Distribution Width to Platelet Ratio Is Associated with Increasing In-Hospital Mortality in Critically Ill Patients with Acute Kidney Injury
Authors: Wu Jiayuan , Huang Liutao , He Hairong , Zhao Yumei , Niu Dongdong , Lyu Jun
Published: January 2022

Background. Inflammation plays a key role in the pathophysiology and progression of acute kidney injury (AKI). Red cell distribution width (RDW) to platelet ratio (RPR) is a novel inflammatory index, and its prognostic effect on critically ill patients with AKI is rarely investigated. This work is aimed at investigating the association between RPR and in-hospital mortality in these patients. Methods. Data were extracted from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III database. All-cause death during hospitalization was selected as the primary outcome. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the optimal cut-off value, and the area under the curve (AUC) was applied to compare predictive ability among different indices. Cox proportional hazard models were utilized to assess the association between RPR and in-hospital mortality. Restricted cubic spline analysis for multivariate Cox model was performed to explore the shape of the relationship between RPR and mortality. Results. A total of 24,166 critically ill patients with AKI were included. The relationship of RPR and in-hospital mortality was nonlinear with a trend to rise rapidly and then gradually. For mortality prediction, RPR had the optimal cut-off value of 0.093, of which the AUC was 0.791 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.773–0.810), which was higher than those of RDW, platelet, sequential organ failure assessment score, simplified acute physiology score II, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, and platelet to lymphocytes ratio. After adjustments for various confounders, high RPR showed a significant association with increased mortality with hazard ratios of 1.46 (95% CI: 1.40–1.55) for categorical variable and 1.88 (95% CI: 1.80–1.97) for continuous variables in the fully adjusted model. Conclusions. Elevated RPR on admission is substantially associated with high risk of in-hospital mortality in critically ill patients with AKI and thus may serve as a novel predictor of prognosis for these patients.
G-Protein Coupled Receptor 35 Induces Intervertebral Disc Degeneration by Mediating the Influx of Calcium Ions and Upregulating Reactive Oxygen Species
Authors: Chen Zhe , Jiao Yucheng , Zhang Ying , Wang Qingfeng , Wu Wenjian , Zheng Jiancheng , Li Jitian
Published: January 2022

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is a chronic disease affecting millions of patients; however, its specific etiology is unknown. G protein-coupled receptors (GPRs) are a superfamily of integral membrane receptors in cells, and the receptors respond to a diverse range of stimuli and participate in multiple cellular activities. Here, using RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) methods and immunohistochemistry, we revealed that G protein-coupled receptor 35 (GPR35) may have a relationship with IDD. Then, we demonstrated that the deletion of GPR35 in nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) with siRNA or in Gpr35-/- mice significantly alleviated IDD caused by senescence or mechanical stress, further validating the pathological role of GPR35 in IDD. In addition, GPR35 induced the influx of Ca2+ and upregulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) under mechanical stress in NPCs, which we believe to be the mechanism of GPR35-induced IDD. Finally, GPR35 caused upregulation of ROS in NPCs under mechanical stress, while excessive ROS stimulated the NPCs to express more GPR35 with a significant dose or time response. The u-regulated GPR35 could sense mechanical stress to produce more ROS and perpetuate this harmful cycle. In summary, our study shows that GPR35 plays a critical role in mediating IDD via mediating the influx of calcium ions and upregulating ROS, which implies a strong potential advantage of GPR35 as a prevention and treatment target in IDD.
Digital Subtraction Angiography Image Features under the Deep Learning Algorithm in Cardiovascular Interventional Treatment and Nursing for Vascular Restenosis
Authors: Zhao Yuqin , Zeng Qingting , Li Jingjing , Jiang Xia
Published: January 2022

The objective of this study was to explore the application value of digital subtraction angiography (DSA) images optimized by deep learning algorithms in vascular restenosis patients undergoing cardiovascular intervention and their nursing efficacy. In this study, a network model for removing artifacts was constructed based on a deep algorithm. 60 patients with coronary artery restenosis were selected as the research objects, and they were randomly divided into the CTA group guided by CT angiography (CTA) and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) group, with 30 cases in each group. The antiartifact network model constructed based on the depth algorithm was applied to the images of CTA and DSA for experiments. After cardiovascular intervention and clinical pathway nursing intervention, it was found that the diameter stenosis rate in the DSA group decreased from

65.82
±
12.9
%

to

4.7
±
1.3
%

, and the area stenosis rate decreased from

88.4
±
14.3
%

to

5.4
±
1.7
%

. During the follow-up period of 3-24 months, 3 out of 46 lesions in the DSA group showed restenosis, so the restenosis rate was 6.5%, which was significantly lower than the 18.4% in the CTA group (

P
<
0.05

). In the DSA group, there was 1 case of bleeding, 0 case of hematoma, 2 cases of urinary retention, and 0 case of hypotension, so the total incidence of adverse reactions was 10%, which was significantly lower than the 30% of the CTA group (

P
<
0.05

). The high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels of the two groups of patients were

3.58
±
2.02
 
mg
/
L

and

4.36
±
3.11
 
mg
/
L

before surgery and

3.49
±
2.18
 
mg
/
L

and

4.57
±
3.4
 
mg
/
L

after the surgery. The postoperative hs-CRP level in the CTA group was slightly lower than that before the surgery and the postoperative hs-CRP level in the DSA group was slightly higher than that before the surgery, but they were not statistically significant (

P
>
0.05

). The hs-CRP level of the DSA group before and after the surgery was slightly higher than that of the CTA group, but there was no significant difference (

P
>
0.05

). In summary, the network model based on the deep learning algorithm can remove the artifacts in DSA images and present high-quality clear images, and convolutional neural network (CNN) algorithms had a strong ability to automatically learn features in the field of medical image processing and were worthy of being widely used and popularized. In addition, the DSA-guided intervention can reduce the rate of vascular stenosis in patients, showing low probability of postoperative restenosis and adverse reactions and a good clinical effect.
SM-PageRank Algorithm-Based User Interest Model for Mobile Smart Tourism Platform
Authors: Li Hua , Su Tao
Published: January 2022

Smart tourism, also known as smart tourism, actively captures tourism activities, tourists, tourism economy, tourism resources, and other information through mobile Internet and mobile terminal Internet of things devices and emerging technologies such as cloud computing and Internet of things. In order to release the intelligent tourism information in time, let the masses know the information in time, and adjust the work and tourism plan in time, this paper proposes SM-PageRank algorithm and secondary ranking based on user interest model, in order to study the accuracy of tourism information retrieval. The methods used in this paper include the principle of three weighted information fusion algorithms, LBS technology, and the design of intelligent tourism system. The function of information fusion algorithm is to find the global optimal solution for travel routing. LBS technology collects real-time tourism information through some entity sensors. Through information retrieval experiment and fusion technology solution experiment, the results show that the SM-PageRank algorithm and the secondary sorting based on user interest model proposed in this paper improve the average accuracy by 20.1% compared with the traditional algorithm and 2.6% compared with Google search. The Internet of things fusion algorithm gives a line planning set with standard deviation of 0.4 for the set of travel days with standard deviation of 1.92.
Identification and Comparison of Potential Biomarkers by Proteomic Analysis in Traditional Chinese Medicine-Based Heart Failure Syndromes
Authors: Jiang Yang , Zhao Qi , Huang Shumin , Cheng Bin , Hu Zhixi
Published: January 2022

Heart failure (HF) is an epidemic disease affecting a large population worldwide. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is playing an increasingly important role in the clinical treatment of HF. According to the TCM theory, HF could be classified into Yang deficiency and Qi-yin deficiency; however, there are few objective and biological lines of evidence for differentiation of TCM HF syndromes to date. In this study, data-independent acquisition (DIA) mass spectrometry was applied to comparatively analyze the protein expression in serum samples obtained from 12 Yang deficiency patients, 12 Qi-yin deficiency patients, and 12 healthy volunteers. Compared to the healthy controls, a total of 121 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) (77 upregulated and 44 downregulated proteins) were identified in Yang deficiency samples, while 59 DEPs (49 upregulated and 10 downregulated proteins) were detected in Qi-yin deficiency samples. Enrichment analyses of these DEPs based on the GO and KEGG databases revealed functional clusters associated with the immune system, signal transduction, and infectious disease. Several previously reported HF biomarker proteins were found to be the hub proteins in a protein-protein interaction network analysis. Three novel hub DEPs were identified as potential biomarkers for differentiation between different TCM syndromes of HF. The results provide biological insight into the differences of different TCM HF syndromes and an opportunity for specific biomarker identification for different TCM HF syndromes.
FWDNet: A Novel Recognition Network for Ferrography Wear Debris Image Analysis
Authors: Jia Fengguang , Wei Haijun
Published: January 2022

Ferrography wear debris in lubricating oil contains abundant worthy information about the state of the machinery and equipment. In order to develop an online monitoring system based on condition maintenance and fault diagnosis, wear debris needs to be identified automatically. Through various tribological experiments, a dataset of seven kinds of wear debris was established. In this study, DenseNet121 was used as the base network to construct a DCNN model (FWDNet) using the transfer learning method. FWDNet obtained an accuracy of 90.15% through a 10-fold crossvalidation test. The results indicate that FWDNet and DCNN mode is suitable for the identification of wear debris and can be used in actual condition monitoring systems in the future.
Study on Large-Scale Promotion of Prefabricated Buildings in Anhui Province Based on SEM and IoT
Authors: Zhao Weishu , Chen Yuting
Published: January 2022

The development of prefabricated buildings is an important measure to implement and promote supply-side structural reforms in order to better promote the development of assembly construction scale in Anhui province. This is also needed for the transformation and upgradation of the construction industry. On the basis of literature analyses, expert interviews, and questionnaire surveys, this paper analyzes the key factors affecting the large-scale promotion of prefabricated buildings in Anhui province from five dimensions by using a structural equation model. These key factors are policy support, market circumstances, public awareness, economic cost, and technical support. The results show that policy support and technical support factors have a greater impact on the large-scale development of prefabricated buildings. We should strengthen the supervision mechanism and build the assembly building management system combining the BIM, Internet of things, and other technologies. According to the research results, we put forward corresponding countermeasures and suggestions to provide a reference for the large-scale development of prefabricated buildings in Anhui province.
Characteristics of Lung Microbiota in Children’s Refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae Pneumonia Coinfected with Human Adenovirus B
Authors: Zhou Wenxiang , Chen Jinglong , Xi Zhimin , Shi Yanyan , Wang Libo , Lu Aizhen
Published: January 2022

Background. Both M. pneumoniae and human adenovirus (HAdV) are common causative agents of lower respiratory tract infection in children; nonetheless, the lung microbiota in patients with coinfection of HAdV and M. pneumoniae remain unexplored. Methods. Thirty-two children, diagnosed with refractory M. pneumoniae pneumonia (RMPP), entered into the one-year study from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020. Among them, twenty-one entered into the M. pneumoniae monoinfection (MP) group and eleven entered into the M. pneumoniae and HAdV coinfection (MP&ADV) group. The characteristics of the clinical findings were examined, and the lung microbiota was analyzed by metagenomic next generation sequencing (mNGS). Results. Eleven patients in the MP&ADV group were coinfected with human mastadenovirus species B. The fever days lasted for significantly longer periods in the MP&ADV group than in the MP group (

P
<
0.05

). The percentage of CD16+CD56+ cells was significantly higher in the MP&ADV group than that in the MP group (

P
<
0.05

). There were no significant differences in α-diversity between the MP and MP&ADV groups, but the β-diversity was clearly higher in the MP&ADV group than that in the MP group (

P
<
0.05

). At the microbial level, the top phylum of the MP BALF microbiota was Tenericutes; in contrast, it was Preplasmiviricota in the MP&ADV BALF. There were significant differences in the relative abundance of Tenericutes and Preplasmiviricota between the two groups (

P
<
0.001

). There was a strong positive correlation between human mastadenovirus B and fever days, M. pneumoniae and level of IgA, and a strong negative correlation between Mycoplasma pneumoniae and PCT. Conclusions. In RMPP, the BALF microbiota in children with mono M. pneumoniae infection was simpler than those with coinfection with human mastadenovirus B. Prolonged fever days were associated with human mastadenovirus B coinfection.
Temperature Field of Concrete Cured in Winter Conditions Using Thermal Control Measures
Authors: Shi Tuo , Deng Chunlin , Zhao Jiaqi , Ding Pingxiang , Fan Zhihong
Published: January 2022

In order to obtain the construction technology of concrete construction at extreme low temperature and ensure the construction quality of concrete in winter, this study investigated the temperature field and compressive performance of concrete specimens cured in the laboratory at a temperature of −10°C using different thermal control measures. A finite element model of the observed temperature field was then established and shown to be in good agreement with the test results. This model was applied to analyse the factors influencing thermally controlled low-temperature concrete curing in winter. The results showed that concrete cast at −10°C using rock wool insulation covering and heated formwork for thermal control met the relevant performance requirements. Finally, the proposed temperature field model and thermal control measures were successfully applied to the construction of a concrete box girder in winter conditions.
The Analysis of Public Opinion in Colleges and Universities Oriented to Wireless Networks under the Application of Intelligent Data Mining
Authors: Wu WenNing , Deng ZhengHong
Published: January 2022

In recent years, the incidence of public opinion in colleges and universities has been high. Monitoring, forecasting, and responding to public opinion of students in colleges and universities have increasingly become the work that education management departments at all levels attach great importance to. For each university, how to understand the sensation of teachers and students in real time in the era of informationization entering the intelligent campus has become an urgent problem. How to collect college campus network information, analyze and manage this information, and find hot topics from it has a profound impact on the reform of colleges and universities. Hence, in this paper, we propose a public opinion analysis framework based on intelligent data mining technique. Its advantage lies in the fact that it can withdraw the needed and unknown knowledge and regularities from the massive network data and host log data. It is a new attempt to use data mining in achieving public opinion. At present, data mining algorithm applied to public opinion analysis mainly has four basic patterns: association, sequence, classification, and clustering. Data mining technology is advanced for: it can process large amount of data. It does not need the users’ subjective evaluation and is more likely to discover the ignored and hidden information. Here, initially, the dataset is collected, which is preprocessed and divided into a training set and test set. Feature extraction of the text is done using Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA). After that, text cosine similarity calculation is performed to compute the similarity between text vectors obtained from the LDA. Convolutional neural network (CNN) is used for classification purpose. We proposed Krill Herd Harmony Search Optimization Algorithm (KHHSOA) for optimizing the CNN and classifying the text into positive and negative opinion. The proposed system is simulated using MATLAB simulation tool, and the performance is analyzed in terms of metrics like accuracy, precision, recall,

F

-measure, kappa coefficient, and error rate. The proposed method is proved to be better when compared with the existing techniques.
Elucidation of Potential Targets of San-Miao-San in the Treatment of Osteoarthritis Based on Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Analysis
Authors: Chu Man , Gao Ting , Zhang Xu , Kang Wulin , Feng Yu , Cai Zhe , Wu Ping
Published: January 2022

Background. To examine the potential therapeutic targets of Chinese medicine formula San-Miao-San (SMS) in the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA), we analyzed the active compounds of SMS and key targets of OA and investigated the interacting pathways using network pharmacological approaches and molecular docking analysis. Methods. The active compounds of SMS and OA-related targets were searched and screened by TCMSP, DrugBank, Genecards, OMIM, DisGeNet, TTD, and PharmGKB databases. Venn analysis and PPI were performed for evaluating the interaction of the targets. The topological analysis and molecular docking were used to confirm the subnetworks and binding affinity between active compounds and key targets, respectively. The GO and KEGG functional enrichment analysis for all targets of each subnetwork were conducted. Results. A total of 57 active compounds and 203 targets of SMS were identified by the TCMSP and DrugBank database, while 1791 OA-related targets were collected from the Genecards, OMIM, DisGeNet, TTD, and PharmGKB databases. By Venn analysis, 108 intersection targets between SMS targets and OA targets were obtained. Most of these intersecting targets involve quercetin, kaempferol, and wogonin. Moreover, intersecting targets identified by PPI analysis were introduced into Cytoscape plug-in CytoNCA for topological analysis. Hence, nine key targets of SMS for OA treatment were obtained. Furthermore, the potential binding conformations between active compounds and key targets were found through molecular docking analysis. According to the DAVID enrichment analysis, the main biological processes of SMS in the treatment of OA include oxidative stress, response to reactive oxygen species, and apoptotic signaling pathways. Finally, we found wogonin, the key compound in SMS, might play a pivotal role on Toll-like receptor, IL-17, TNF, osteoclast differentiation, and apoptosis signaling pathways through interacting with four key targets. Conclusions. Therefore, this study elucidated the potential active compounds and key targets of SMS in the treatment of OA based on network pharmacology.
Community Malaria Knowledge, Experiences, Perceived Roles, and Acceptability of Community-Directed Distribution of Intermittent Preventive Therapy for Pregnancy in Rural Southeast Nigeria
Authors: Okedo-Alex Ijeoma Nkem , Akamike Ifeyinwa Chizoba , Nwafor Johnbosco Ifunanya , Alo Chihurumnanya , Agu Adaoha Pearl , Abateneh Dejene Derseh , Uneke Chigozie Jesse
Published: January 2022

Background. The community plays key roles in protecting pregnant women in rural areas from malaria. This study assessed malaria experiences, knowledge, perceived roles in malaria prevention in pregnancy, and acceptability of community-directed distribution of intermittent preventive therapy (IPTp) for malaria in pregnancy in rural Southeast Nigeria. Methods. This study presents part of the baseline findings of a before-and-after study. Data was collected from 817 community members in Ebonyi State using interviewer-administered questionnaires and focus group discussions (FGDs). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 and thematic analysis. Results. The majority of the respondents were females (73.8%) with a mean age of

36.08
±
15.4

. Most respondents (65.2%) had Insecticide-Treated Net (ITN) and fever in the past year (67.1%). Malaria (88.6%) was identified as the major health condition in the community. Majority (74.1%) knew infected mosquito bites as the cause of malaria while 61.1% and 71.5% were definitely sure that pregnant women and children were at risk for malaria. Sleeping under ITN (54.3%), clean environment (39.7%), and herbal medications (26.8%) were the main ways of malaria prevention cited. Only 18.4% of the participants rated their knowledge of IPTp as adequate, and only 9.3% knew the common drug names used for IPTp. The major perceived roles in malaria prevention in pregnancy were referral of pregnant women to the health facility, encouragement of household ITN use, and sustaining malaria-related projects. The majority of the participants (60.6%) strongly agreed that community-directed distribution of IPTp-SP will improve the prevention of malaria in pregnancy. Most (77.2%) considered community-directed distribution of IPTp acceptable, and 74.4% of the pregnant respondents preferred community to facility administration of IPTp. Conclusions. Malaria was recognized as a prevalent disease, but there was inadequate knowledge of malaria prevention in pregnancy notably intermittent preventive therapy. There was positive perception of roles in malaria prevention in pregnancy and high acceptability of community-directed distribution of IPTp. Community-level malaria control programs should utilize a whole-of–community approach to optimally engage and educate the community on malaria prevention in pregnancy as well as explore community distribution approach for IPTp.
Command-Filtered Backstepping Control for a Class of Chaotic Systems
Authors: Sun Chunxiang
Published: January 2022

The problem of command-filtered backstepping control for a class of chaotic systems was studied in this paper. At each step of the backstepping design, a command filtering backstepping method is introduced to use a new virtual control signal, in which the derivative of the virtual control was approximated by using the output of filter. Then, the asymptotic stability conditions for synchronization errors are obtained by using the Lyapunov stability criterion and this control method. The design technique has the advantages of the conventional command-filtered backstepping control. An example shows the proposed method was feasible.
Research on the Impact of Interest Rate and Virtual Finance Reform on GDP Growth Based on Error Correction Model
Authors: Zhang Bo , Tao Meichen
Published: January 2022

In the context of the virtual economy, monitoring and controlling the operation of the virtual economy to prevent excessive asset bubbles due to inherent volatility and minimize the harm to the macroeconomy is one of the important tasks of economic development. This study applies the error correction model to the analysis of GDP growth factors, improves the algorithm to adapt it to the needs of GDP growth analysis, and constructs an analysis model of the impact of interest rate and virtual financial reforms on GDP growth. Moreover, this study combines data analysis to verify the performance of the model in this study. Through experimental analysis, we can see that the error correction model proposed in this study can play an important role in the analysis of GDP growth factors. At the same time, this study verifies that virtual financial reform and interest rate reform can have a certain impact on GDP growth and have a certain degree of relevance.
Effects of Periodontal Endoscopy-Assisted Nonsurgical Treatment of Periodontitis: Four-Month Results of a Randomized Controlled Split-Mouth Pilot Study
Authors: Graetz Christian , Sentker Johanna , Cyris Miriam , Schorr Susanne , Springer Claudia , Fawzy El-Sayed Karim M.
Published: January 2022

Objective. Although the therapeutic effects of nonsurgical periodontal therapy (NSPT) are well established, the clinical benefits of the additional use of periodontal endoscopy (PE) remain controversial. Therefore, this randomized controlled split-mouth pilot study evaluated the effect of NSPT using PE versus NSPT without nPE on bleeding on probing (BOP) in sites with probing depth (PD)≥4 mm (primary outcome), PD, clinical attachment level (CAL), number of hard deposits (HDs), and treatment time per tooth (TrT). Methods. Two calibrated operators performed NSPT in twenty periodontitis patients, randomized into two quadrants for PE or nPE treatment. BOP, PD, and CAL were recorded at the first visit for NSPT (T0) and during reevaluation (T1: mean (SD) 119.7 (24.6) days after T0). The average TrT and the number of sites with HDs were documented at T0. Results. For BOP, no significant differences were found at the patient’s level (10/10 (male/female); aged 54.3 (10.9) years) neither within or between the groups. At tooth surface level, a lower number of surfaces with BOPp=0.026was observed in nPE. CAL and PD improved significantly during NSPT in both groupsp≤0.001, with higher PD reductionp<0.001and CAL gainp<0.001in nPE. There are significantly longer TrTp<0.001and more surfaces with subgingival HDs evident in PE at T0p=0.001. Conclusion. Whereas subgingival HDs can be visually detected with PE during NSPT, no additional clinical benefits regarding BOP, PD, or CAL were notable compared to conventional systematic periodontal instrumentation. Additionally, PE-assisted NSPT required a longer treatment time.
Adiponectin Levels Are Associated with White Matter Lesions (WMLs) and Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Quan Hui , Yu Tongya , Lin Yingying , Pan Jie , Mao Bingjie , Wang Xuan , Xie Junchao , Liu Xueyuan , Zhao Yanxin
Published: January 2022

Background and Objective. White matter lesions (WMLs) are imaging changes characterized by hyperintensities on T2‐weighted or FLAIR images, which are closely related to the decline of cognitive function. However, the etiology and pathogenesis of WMLs remain undetermined. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between adiponectin levels and cognitive decline in persons with or without white matter lesions. Method. In the present study, 126 patients, 90 cases in the WML group and 36 cases in the control group, were analyzed to explore the relationship between adiponectin and WMLs. All patients underwent an MRI scan to assess whether white matter lesions happened. And the serum levels of adiponectin were detected by ELISA. Results. In this study, according to Fazekas criteria, WMLs were divided into different severity groups. With the increase of WML score, the level of adiponectin decreased, and linear correlation analysis shows that adiponectin is negatively correlated with the severity of white matter lesions (p < 0.001). And adiponectin level was significantly positively correlated with MoCA score (p < 0.05). Moreover, adiponectin in the WMLs combined with the cognitive impairment group was significantly reduced (p < 0.01). Conclusion. The level of adiponectin is independently associated with WMLs and cognitive function, which suggests that adiponectin may be a protective factor for WMLs and cognitive function.
Involvement of Neuropeptide Y within Paraventricular Nucleus in Electroacupuncture Inhibiting Sympathetic Activities in Hypertensive Rats
Authors: Zhang Qi , Tan Yingying , Wen Xin , Li Fangfang
Published: January 2022

Although electroacupuncture (EA) has been used to decrease the blood pressure (BP) clinically, the underlying mechanisms are not clearly clarified. This study aimed to assess the hypothesis that EA treatment exerts a hypotensive action via suppressing sympathetic activities and modulating neuropeptide Y (NPY) function within the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of hypertensive rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were selected for the experiment, and the hypertensive models were established by the two-kidney, one-clip (2K1C) method. Then, the rats were randomly assigned to the sham group, 2K1C group, 2K1C plus EA group, and 2K1C plus sham EA group. EA treatment at the acupoints ST36 and ST40 overlying the peroneal nerves was given once a day for 30 days. The radiotelemetry system was applied to collect the arterial BP recordings. Power spectral analyses of BP variability, BP responses to ganglionic blockade, and plasma levels of norepinephrine and epinephrine were performed to assess the changes in sympathetic nerve activity. Real-time PCR and Western blots were carried out to examine the expression of NPY system in the PVN. The responses of PVN microinjection with NPY Y1R antagonist BIBO3304 were detected to check the endogenous NPY tone. The results showed that the enhanced arterial BP and sympathetic activities were effectively reduced by 30 days of EA treatment, and baroreflex sensitivity was improved in 2K1C hypertensive rats. The level of NPY mRNA and protein expression in the PVN was markedly upregulated by EA treatment in 2K1C rats. In addition, the pressor responses of PVN microinjection with NPY Y1R antagonist BIBO3304 in 2K1C models were remarkably augmented by the EA stimulation. Our results indicate that the increased NPY expression and function in the PVN induced by EA treatment contribute to antihypertensive and sympathetic suppression on hypertensive rats. The findings may elucidate the underlying mechanisms of the acupuncture to be a potential therapeutic strategy against hypertension.
Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Immunohistochemical Assessment of Markers of Cancer Cell Metabolism
Authors: Granja Sara Costa , Longatto-Filho Adhemar , de Campos Priscila B. , Oliveira Claudia P. , Stefano José T. , Martins-Filho Sebastião N. , Chagas Aline L. , Herman Paulo , D’Albuquerque Luiz C. , Reis Alvares-da-Silva Mário , Carrilho Flair José , Baltazar Fátima , Alves Venâncio A.F.
Published: January 2022

Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been associated to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We sought to investigate the immunoexpression of several glycolytic metabolism-associated markers in patients with HCC associated to NAFLD and associate these factors to their clinical-pathological characteristics. Methods: We evaluated 35 HCC specimens from 21 patients diagnosed with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) undergoing liver resection (12 patients), liver transplantation (8 patients), or both (1 patient). Histological features, clinical aspects, demographic and biochemical data, as well as the immunohistochemical reactivity for monocarboxylate transporters 1, 2, and 4; their chaperone CD147; carbonic anhydrase IX; and glucose transporter-1 (GLUT1) were assessed. Results: Metabolic-associated cirrhosis was present in 12 of the 21 patients (8 child A and 4 child B scores). From 9 patients without cirrhosis, 3 presented NASH F3 and 6 NASH F2. Sixteen (76%) had diabetes mellitus, 17 (81%) arterial hypertension, and 19 (90%) body mass index above 25 kg/m2; 8 (38%) had dyslipidemia. From 35 nodules, steatosis was found in 26, ballooning in 31 nodules, 25 of them diagnosed as steatohepatitic subtype of HCC. MCT4 immunoexpression was associated with extensive intratumoral fibrosis, advanced clinical stages, and shorter overall survival. GLUT1 was noticeable in nodules with extensive intratumoral steatosis, higher intratumoral fibrosis, and advanced clinical stages. Immunohistochemical expression of the metabolic biomarkers MCT4 and GLUT1 was higher in patients with Barcelona-clinic liver cancer B or C. GLUT1 correlated with higher degree of steatosis, marked ballooning, intratumoral fibrosis, and higher parenchymal necroinflammatory activity. Conclusion: Our data indicate that the expression of the glycolytic phenotype of metabolic markers, especially GLUT1 and MCT4, correlates with a more severe course of HCC occurring in NASH patients.
Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty and Peripheral Lamellar Keratoplasty for a Case of Severe Peripheral Ulcerative Keratitis
Authors: Yokoyama Katsuhiko , Nakamura Riku , Otsuka Takaaki , Kimoto Kenichi , Kubota Toshiaki
Published: January 2022

We experienced a rare case of severe peripheral ulcerative keratitis in a patient undergoing surgery combined with deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) and peripheral lamellar keratoplasty (LK). A 63-year-old Japanese woman was referred to our hospital for the treatment of visual disturbance caused by peripheral ulcerative keratitis in the left eye. Although the inflammation subsided with topical and oral administration of steroids, peripheral ulcerative keratitis worsened 4 weeks after the medical treatment. Surgery combining DALK and peripheral LK, including the corneal limbus, was performed as treatment. Two weeks after the surgery, a double anterior chamber appeared, but it disappeared spontaneously. There was no postoperative rejection or intraocular pressure elevation. One year and 6 months after the surgery, the inflammation did not recur, the cornea remained transparent, and the thickness of the cornea was maintained. In conclusion, combined DALK and peripheral LK may be a surgical option for treating severe peripheral ulcerative keratitis.
Atemnot und COVID-19: Ein Aufruf zu mehr Forschung
Authors: Hentsch Lisa , Cocetta Sara , Allali Gilles , Santana Isabelle , Eason Rowena , Adam Emily , Janssens Jean-Paul
Published: January 2022

Atemnot, auch als Dyspnoe bezeichnet, ist ein häufiges und lähmendes Symptom. In mehreren Berichten wurde die Abwesenheit von Atemnot bei einer Untergruppe von Patienten mit COVID-19 hervorgehoben, die manchmal als «stille» oder «glückliche Hypoxie» bezeichnet wird. Ebenfalls wurde in Berichten erwähnt, dass es an einem klaren Zusammenhang zwischen dem klinischen Schweregrad der Erkrankung und der von den Patienten berichteten Schwere der Atemnot fehlt. Die zerebralen Komplikationen von COVID-19 sind weitgehend nachgewiesen, mit einer hohen Prävalenz akuter Enzephalopathien, die möglicherweise die Verarbeitung afferenter Signale oder die absteigende Modulation von Atemnotsignalen beeinträchtigen könnte. In dieser Übersichtsarbeit möchten wir die an der Atemnot beteiligten Mechanismen hervorheben und die Pathophysiologie von COVID-19 und den bekannten Auswirkungen der Erkrankung auf die Interaktion von Gehirn und Lunge zusammenfassen. Anschließend stellen wir Hypothesen für die Veränderung der Wahrnehmung von Atemnot bei COVID-19-Patienten auf und schlagen Möglichkeiten vor, mit denen dieses Phänomen weiter erforscht werden könnte.
Stille Hypoxie bei COVID-19: Eine Fallserie
Authors: Fuehner Thomas , Renger Isabelle , Welte Tobias , Freundt Tobias , Gottlieb Jens
Published: January 2022

Hintergrund: Die Coronavirus-Pandemie 2019 (COVID-19) ist eine anhaltende globale Krise, die die weltweiten Gesundheitssysteme herausfordert. Bei vielen Patienten besteht ein Missverhältnis zwischen schwerer Hypoxämie und wenigen Anzeichen von Atemnot (d.h. stille Hypoxämie). Dieses besondere klinische Bild wird häufig angeführt, aber die Daten sind begrenzt. Hauptteil: Die vorliegende Studie beschreibt das Empfinden von Dyspnoe, das mithilfe der BORG-Skala über einen Zeitraum von 4 Wochen bei Lungenpatienten ermittelt wurde, die in die Notaufnahme aufgenommen und dann in die Lungenabteilung des Siloah-Krankenhauses in Hannover verlegt wurden. Vom 1. Oktober bis zum 1. November 2020 wurden 82 Patienten mit Hypoxämie, definiert mit einem Sauerstoffbedarf zum Erreichen einer Sauerstoffsättigung (SpO2) ≥92%, eingeschlossen. Bei 45/82 (55%) Patienten wurde bei der Aufnahme durch PCR SARS-CoV-2 nachgewiesen. Bei den Nicht-COVID-Patienten war die Exazerbation der COPD die Hauptdiagnose (15/37, 41%). Alle Probanden bewerteten ihre wahrgenommene Dyspnoe anhand der modifizierten Borg-CR10-Skala. Die Patienten in der Nicht-COVID-Gruppe litten mehr unter Dyspnoe auf der modifizierten Borg-CR10-Skala (Median 1, IQR: 0–2 vs. Median 5, IQR: 3–6, p < 0,001). In der multivariaten Analyse war eine «stille Hypoxämie», definiert durch die Dyspnoe-Borg-CR10-Skala ≥5, unabhängig von COVID-19 und dem Vorhandensein einer schweren Hypokapnie mit einer Odds Ratio von 0,221 (95%-Konfidenzintervall 0,054, 0,907, p 0,036) verbunden. Schlussfolgerungen: Bei Lungenpatienten mit akuter Hypoxämie, die mit einem Sauerstoffbedarf definiert wurden, leiden COVID-19-Patienten im Vergleich zu Nicht-COVID-Patienten weniger unter Dyspnoe. «Stille» Hypoxämie trat bei COVID-19-Patienten häufiger auf.