bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Oxytocin-induced increase in N,N-dimethylglycine and time course of changes in oxytocin efficacy for autism social core symptoms
Authors: Kato Yasuhiko , Kuwabara Hitoshi , Okada Takashi , Munesue Toshio , Benner Seico , Kuroda Miho , Kojima Masaki , Yassin Walid , Eriguchi Yosuke , Kameno Yosuke , Murayama Chihiro , Nishimura Tomoko , Tsuchiya Kenji , Kasai Kiyoto , Ozaki Norio , Kosaka Hirotaka , Yamasue Hidenori
Published: February 2021

Background

Oxytocin is expected as a novel therapeutic agent for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) core symptoms. However, previous results on the efficacy of repeated administrations of oxytocin are controversial. Recently, we reported time-course changes in the efficacy of the neuropeptide underlying the controversial effects of repeated administration; however, the underlying mechanisms remained unknown.

Methods

The current study explored metabolites representing the molecular mechanisms of oxytocin’s efficacy using high-throughput metabolomics analysis on plasma collected before and after 6-week repeated intranasal administration of oxytocin (48 IU/day) or placebo in adult males with ASD (N = 106) who participated in a multi-center, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized controlled trial.

Results

Among the 35 metabolites measured, a significant increase in N,N-dimethylglycine was detected in the subjects administered oxytocin compared with those given placebo at a medium effect size (false discovery rate (FDR) corrected P = 0.043, d = 0.74, N = 83). Furthermore, subgroup analyses of the participants displaying a prominent time-course change in oxytocin efficacy revealed a significant effect of oxytocin on N,N-dimethylglycine levels with a large effect size (PFDR = 0.004, d = 1.13, N = 60). The increase in N,N-dimethylglycine was significantly correlated with oxytocin-induced clinical changes, assessed as changes in quantifiable characteristics of autistic facial expression, including both of improvements between baseline and 2 weeks (PFDR = 0.006, r = − 0.485, N = 43) and deteriorations between 2 and 4 weeks (PFDR = 0.032, r = 0.415, N = 37).

Limitations

The metabolites changes caused by oxytocin administration were quantified using peripheral blood and therefore may not directly reflect central nervous system changes.

Conclusion

Our findings demonstrate an association of N,N-dimethylglycine upregulation with the time-course change in the efficacy of oxytocin on autistic social deficits. Furthermore, the current findings support the involvement of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor and neural plasticity to the time-course change in oxytocin’s efficacy.

Trial registration: A multi-center, parallel-group, placebo-controlled, double-blind, confirmatory trial of intranasal oxytocin in participants with autism spectrum disorders (the date registered: 30 October 2014; UMIN Clinical Trials Registry: https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000017703) (UMIN000015264).
Hybrid semantic recommender system for chemical compounds in large-scale datasets
Authors: Barros Marcia , Moitinho Andre , Couto Francisco M.
Published: February 2021

The large, and increasing, number of chemical compounds poses challenges to the exploration of such datasets. In this work, we propose the usage of recommender systems to identify compounds of interest to scientific researchers. Our approach consists of a hybrid recommender model suitable for implicit feedback datasets and focused on retrieving a ranked list according to the relevance of the items. The model integrates collaborative-filtering algorithms for implicit feedback (Alternating Least Squares and Bayesian Personalized Ranking) and a new content-based algorithm, using the semantic similarity between the chemical compounds in the ChEBI ontology. The algorithms were assessed on an implicit dataset of chemical compounds, CheRM-20, with more than 16.000 items (chemical compounds). The hybrid model was able to improve the results of the collaborative-filtering algorithms, by more than ten percentage points in most of the assessed evaluation metrics.
Dietary purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) promotes the growth performance of broilers by modulation of gut microbiota
Authors: Wang Cong , Liu Qing , Ye Fengchun , Tang Hongbo , Xiong Yanpeng , Wu Yongfei , Wang Luping , Feng Xuanbiao , Zhang Shuiyin , Wan Yongmei , Huang Jianhua
Published: February 2021

Purslane is a widespread wild vegetable with both medicinal and edible properties. It is highly appreciated for its high nutritional value and is also considered as a high-quality feed resource for livestock and poultry. In this study, Sanhuang broilers were used to investigate the effect of feeding purslane diets on the growth performance in broilers and their gut microbiota. A total of 48 birds with good growth and uniform weight were selected and randomly allocated to four treatment groups A (control), B, C and D. Dietary treatments were fed with basal diet without purslane and diets containing 1%, 2% and 3% purslane. The 16S rDNA was amplified by PCR and sequenced using the Illumina HiSeq platform to analyze the composition and diversity of gut microbiota in the four sets of samples. The results showed that dietary inclusion of 2% and 3% purslane could significantly improve the growth performance and reduce the feed conversion ratio. Microbial diversity analysis indicated that the composition of gut microbiota of Sanhuang broilers mainly included Gallibacterium, Bacteroides and Escherichia-Shigella, etc. As the content of purslane was increased, the abundance of Lactobacillus increased significantly, and Escherichia-Shigella decreased. LEfSe analysis revealed that Bacteroides_caecigallinarum, Lachnospiraceae, Lactobacillales and Firmicutes had significant differences compared with the control group. PICRUSt analysis revealed bacteria mainly enriched in carbohydrate metabolism pathway due to the additon of purslane in the diet. These results suggest that the addition of purslane to feed could increase the abundance of Lactobacillus in intestine, modulate the environment of gut microbiota and promote the metabolism of carbohydrates to improve its growth performance. This study indicates that the effect of purslane on the growth-promoting performance of broilers might depend on its modulation on gut microbiota, so as to provide a certain scientific basis for the application of purslane in the feed industry.
A critical role of AREG for bleomycin-induced skin fibrosis
Authors: Zhang Mary Yinghua , Fang Shuyi , Gao Hongyu , Zhang Xiaoli , Gu Dongsheng , Liu Yunlong , Wan Jun , Xie Jingwu
Published: February 2021

We report our discovery of an important player in the development of skin fibrosis, a hallmark of scleroderma. Scleroderma is a fibrotic disease, affecting 70,000 to 150,000 Americans. Fibrosis is a pathological wound healing process that produces an excessive extracellular matrix to interfere with normal organ function. Fibrosis contributes to nearly half of human mortality. Scleroderma has heterogeneous phenotypes, unpredictable outcomes, no validated biomarkers, and no effective treatment. Thus, strategies to slow down scleroderma progression represent an urgent medical need. While a pathological wound healing process like fibrosis leaves scars and weakens organ function, oral mucosa wound healing is a scarless process. After re-analyses of gene expression datasets from oral mucosa wound healing and skin fibrosis, we discovered that several pathways constitutively activated in skin fibrosis are transiently induced during oral mucosa wound healing process, particularly the amphiregulin (Areg) gene. Areg expression is upregulated ~ 10 folds 24hrs after oral mucosa wound but reduced to the basal level 3 days later. During bleomycin-induced skin fibrosis, a commonly used mouse model for skin fibrosis, Areg is up-regulated throughout the fibrogenesis and is associated with elevated cell proliferation in the dermis. To demonstrate the role of Areg for skin fibrosis, we used mice with Areg knockout, and found that Areg deficiency essentially prevents bleomycin-induced skin fibrosis. We further determined that bleomycin-induced cell proliferation in the dermis was not observed in the Areg null mice. Furthermore, we found that inhibiting MEK, a downstream signaling effector of Areg, by selumetinib also effectively blocked bleomycin-based skin fibrosis model. Based on these results, we concluded that the Areg-EGFR-MEK signaling axis is critical for skin fibrosis development. Blocking this signaling axis may be effective in treating scleroderma.
Shaping code in conjunction with DCT for PAPR reduction in multicarrier system
Authors: Aimer Younes , Bouazza Boubakar Seddik , Bachir Smail , Duvanaud Claude
Published: February 2021

Nonlinear behavior and power efficiency of the Power Amplifier (PA) contradictorily depend on the input signal amplitude distribution. The transmitted signal in multi-carrier modulation exhibits high Peak-to-Average Power Ratio (PAPR) and large bandwidths, leading to the degradation of the radio link and additional generation out-of-band interferences, which degrade the quality of the transmission. Practical solutions exist, like a power back-off, but with unacceptable efficiency performances of the transmitter. This paper deals with efficiency and linearity improvement using a new PAPR reduction method based on the combination of Discrete Cosine Transform and shaping technique. The main principle is to determine an optimal coding scheme according to a trade-off between coding complexity and performance benefits in the presence of PA nonlinearities. Simulation and experimental results in the context of OFDM signal and using a 20 W–3.7 GHz Radio-Frequency Power Amplifier show an improvement on PAPR reduction of about 3.25 dB. Also, the communication criteria like Bit Error Rate and Error Vector Magnitude are improved by about one decade and a half and $$8\%$$

8
%

, respectively.
Acquisition of oral microbiota is driven by environment, not host genetics
Authors: Mukherjee Chiranjit , Moyer Christina O. , Steinkamp Heidi M. , Hashmi Shahr B. , Beall Clifford J. , Guo Xiaohan , Ni Ai , Leys Eugene J. , Griffen Ann L.
Published: February 2021

Background

The oral microbiota is acquired very early, but the factors shaping its acquisition are not well understood. Previous studies comparing monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins have suggested that host genetics plays a role. However, all twins share an equal portion of their parent’s genome, so this model is not informative for studying parent-to-child transmission. We used a novel study design that allowed us to directly examine the genetics of transmission by comparing the oral microbiota of biological versus adoptive mother-child dyads.

Results

No difference was observed in how closely oral bacterial community profiles matched for adoptive versus biological mother-child pairs, indicating little if any effect of host genetics on the fidelity of transmission. Both adopted and biologic children more closely resembled their own mother as compared to unrelated women, supporting the role of contact and environment. Mother-child strain similarity increased with the age of the child, ruling out early effects of host genetic influence that are lost over time. No effect on the fidelity of mother-child strain sharing from vaginal birth or breast feeding was seen. Analysis of extended families showed that fathers and mothers were equally similar to their children, and that cohabitating couples showed even greater strain similarity than mother-child pairs. These findings support the role of contact and shared environment, and age, but not genetics, as determinants of microbial transmission, and were consistent at both species and strain level resolutions, and across multiple oral habitats. In addition, analysis of individual species all showed similar results.

Conclusions

The host is clearly active in shaping the composition of the oral microbiome, since only a few of the many bacterial species in the larger environment are capable of colonizing the human oral cavity. Our findings suggest that these host mechanisms are universally shared among humans, since no effect of genetic relatedness on fidelity of microbial transmission could be detected. Instead our findings point towards contact and shared environment being the driving factors of microbial transmission, with a unique combination of these factors ultimately shaping the highly personalized human oral microbiome.
Toll-like receptor 5-mediated signaling enhances liver regeneration in mice
Authors: Zhang Wen , Wang Lei , Sun Xue-Hua , Liu Xian , Xiao Yang , Zhang Jie , Wang Ting , Chen Hui , Zhan Yi-Qun , Yu Miao , Ge Chang-Hui , Li Chang-Yan , Ren Guang-Ming , Yin Rong-Hua , Yang Xiao-Ming
Published: February 2021

Background

Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5)-mediated pathways play critical roles in regulating the hepatic immune response and show hepatoprotective effects in mouse models of hepatic diseases. However, the role of TLR5 in experimental models of liver regeneration has not been reported. This study aimed to investigate the role of TLR5 in partial hepatectomy (PHx)-induced liver regeneration.

Methods

We performed 2/3 PHx in wild-type (WT) mice, TLR5 knockout mice, or TLR5 agonist CBLB502 treated mice, as a model of liver regeneration. Bacterial flagellin content was measured with ELISA, and hepatic TLR5 expression was determined with quantitative PCR analyses and flow cytometry. To study the effects of TLR5 on hepatocyte proliferation, we analyzed bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression with immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining. The effects of TLR5 during the priming phase of liver regeneration were examined with quantitative PCR analyses of immediate early gene mRNA levels, and with Western blotting analysis of hepatic NF-κB and STAT3 activation. Cytokine and growth factor production after PHx were detected with real-time PCR and cytometric bead array (CBA) assays. Oil Red O staining and hepatic lipid concentrations were analyzed to examine the effect of TLR5 on hepatic lipid accumulation after PHx.

Results

The bacterial flagellin content in the serum and liver increased, and the hepatic TLR5 expression was significantly up-regulated in WT mice after PHx. TLR5-deficient mice exhibited diminished numbers of BrdU- and PCNA-positive cells, suppressed immediate early gene expression, and decreased cytokine and growth factor production. Moreover, PHx-induced hepatic NF-κB and STAT3 activation was inhibited in Tlr5−/− mice, as compared with WT mice. Consistently, the administration of CBLB502 significantly promoted PHx-mediated hepatocyte proliferation, which was correlated with enhanced production of proinflammatory cytokines and the recruitment of macrophages and neutrophils in the liver. Furthermore, Tlr5−/− mice displayed significantly lower hepatic lipid concentrations and smaller Oil Red O positive areas than those in control mice after PHx.

Conclusion

We reveal that TLR5 activation contributes to the initial events of liver regeneration after PHx. Our findings demonstrate that TLR5 signaling positively regulates liver regeneration and suggest the potential of TLR5 agonist to promote liver regeneration.
Cut wires: The Electrophysiology of Regenerated Tissue
Authors: Lowe Alexis L. , Thakor Nitish V.
Published: February 2021

When nerves are damaged by trauma or disease, they are still capable of firing off electrical command signals that originate from the brain. Furthermore, those damaged nerves have an innate ability to partially regenerate, so they can heal from trauma and even reinnervate new muscle targets. For an amputee who has his/her damaged nerves surgically reconstructed, the electrical signals that are generated by the reinnervated muscle tissue can be sensed and interpreted with bioelectronics to control assistive devices or robotic prostheses. No two amputees will have identical physiologies because there are many surgical options for reconstructing residual limbs, which may in turn impact how well someone can interface with a robotic prosthesis later on. In this review, we aim to investigate what the literature has to say about different pathways for peripheral nerve regeneration and how each pathway can impact the neuromuscular tissue’s final electrophysiology. This information is important because it can guide us in planning the development of future bioelectronic devices, such as prosthetic limbs or neurostimulators. Future devices will primarily have to interface with tissue that has undergone some natural regeneration process, and so we have explored and reported here what is known about the bioelectrical features of neuromuscular tissue regeneration.
Changing the tune using bioelectronics
Authors: Chang Eric H.
Published: February 2021

The desire to harness electricity for improving human health dates back at least two millennia. As electrical signals form the basis of communication within our nervous system, the ability to monitor, control, and precisely deliver electricity within our bodies holds great promise for treating disease. The nascent field of bioelectronic medicine capitalizes on this approach to improve human health, however, challenges remain in relating electrical nerve activity to physiological function. To overcome these challenges, we need more long-term studies on neural circuits where the nerve activity and physiological output is well-established. In this Letter, I highlight a recent study that takes just such an approach.
Egyptian practical guidance in lipid management 2020
Authors: Taha Hesham Salah El Din , Badran Hala Mahfouz , Kandil Hossam , Farag Nabil , Oraby Abbas , El Sharkawy Magdy , Shokry Khaled , Fawzy Fouad , Mahrous Hossam , Bahgat Juliette , Samy Mina , Shaker Mirna Mamdouh
Published: February 2021

Background

Numerous epidemiological investigations and randomized clinical studies have determined that dyslipidemia is a major contributor to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Consequently, the management of serum cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein levels has become a central objective in the effort to prevent cardiovascular events.

Main body

Many guidelines were issued by different organizations and societies to define patient risk and establish important recommendations for management strategies. Newer cholesterol-lowering agents (non-statin drugs) are described, and their use is directed primarily to secondary prevention in patients at very high risk of new ASCVD.

Conclusion

The present guidance summarizes the current methods for risk estimation and outlines the most recent data on lipid management in a simple user-friendly format, to improve physician awareness and help implement guidelines in the daily practice.
Correction to: The role of 18-FDG PET/CT assessment of functional brain metabolism in cancer patients after chemotherapy
Authors: Gamal Shady Mohamed Tarek , Azab Amr Osama M. A. , El Refaei Sherif Mohamed , Houseni Mohamed
Published: February 2021

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
Research priorities in maternal and neonatal health in Africa: results using the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative method involving over 900 experts across the continent
Authors: Alobo Moses , Mgone Charles , Lawn Joy , Adhiambo Colette , Wazny Kerri , Ezeaka Chinyere , Molyneux Elizabeth , Temmerman Marleen , Okong Pius , Malata Address , Kariuki Thomas ,   African Academy of Sciences Maternal and Neonatal Health Working Group for Africa
Published: February 2021

Background:Africa will miss the maternal and neonatal health (MNH) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets if the current trajectory is followed. The African Academy of Sciences has formed an expert maternal and newborn health group to discuss actions to improve MNH SDG targets. The team, among other recommendations, chose to implement an MNH research prioritization exercise for Africa covering four grand challenge areas.

Methods: The team used the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative (CHNRI) research prioritization method to identify research priorities in maternal and newborn health in Africa. From 609 research options, a ranking of the top 46 research questions was achieved. Research priority scores and agreement statistics were calculated, with sub-analysis possible for the regions of East Africa, West Africa and those living out of the continent. 

Results:The top research priorities generally fell into (i) improving identification of high-risk mothers and newborns, or diagnosis of high-risk conditions in mothers and newborns to improve health outcomes; (ii) improving access to treatment through improving incentives to attract and retain skilled health workers in remote, rural areas, improving emergency transport, and assessing health systems' readiness; and (iii) improving uptake of proven existing interventions such as Kangaroo Mother Care.

Conclusions:The research priorities emphasized building interventions that improved access to quality healthcare in the lowest possible units of the provision of MNH interventions. The lists prioritized participation of communities in delivering MNH interventions. The current burden of disease from MNCH in Africa aligns well with the list of priorities listed from this exercise but provides extra insights into current needs by African practitioners.

The MNCH Africa expert group believes that the recommendations from this work should be implemented by multisectoral teams as soon as possible to provide adequate lead time for results of the succeeding programmes to be seen before 2030.
The mother during pregnancy and the puerperium: Detailed data abstracted from the clinical obstetric records of ALSPAC pregnancies
Authors: Birmingham Karen , Gregory Steven , Iles-Caven Yasmin , Fraser Abigail , Lawlor Deborah A. , Boyd Andrew , Northstone Kate , Golding Jean
Published: February 2021

Background: When the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) was planned, it was assumed that the clinical obstetric data would be easily accessible from the newly developed National Health Service computerised ‘STORK’ system. Pilot studies, however, showed that, although fairly accurate in regard to aspects of labour and delivery, it was, at the time (1990-2), inadequate for identifying the full antenatal and postnatal details of clinical complications and treatments of the women in the Study.

Methods: A scheme was therefore developed to train research staff to find and abstract relevant details from clinical records onto proformas designed for the purpose. Extracting such data proved very time consuming (up to six hours for complicated pregnancies) and consequently expensive. Funding for the enterprise was obtained piecemeal using specific focussed grants to extract data for subsamples of the Study, including a random sample to serve as controls.

Results: To date, detailed records have been completed for 8369 pregnancies, and a further 5336 (13,705 in total) have complete details on specific prenatal areas, including serial measures of maternal blood pressure, proteinuria and weight. In this Data Note we describe the information abstracted from the obstetric medical records concerning the mother during pregnancy, labour, delivery and the first two weeks of the puerperium. Information abstracted relating to the fetus (including fetal monitoring, presentation, method of delivery) and neonate (signs of asphyxia, resuscitation, treatment and well-being) will be described in a further Data Note.

Conclusions: These data add depth to ALSPAC concerning ways in which the signs and symptoms, procedures and treatments of the mother prenatally, intrapartum and postnatally, may impact on the long-term health and development of both mother and child. They augment the data collected from the mothers’ questionnaires and the ‘STORK’ digital hospital data.
Policy Uncertainty and Innovation: Evidence from Initial Public Offering Interventions in China
Authors: Cong Lin William , Howell Sabrina T.
Published: February 2021

Public equity is an important source of risk capital, especially in China. The Chinese government has occasionally suspended IPOs, exposing firms already approved to IPO to indeterminate listing delays. The temporary bar on going public increases uncertainty about access to public markets for affected firms. We show that suspension-induced delay reduces corporate innovation activity both during the delay and for years after listing. Negative effects on tangible investment and positive effects on leverage are temporary, consistent with financial constraints during the suspensions being resolved after listing. Our results suggest that predictable, well-functioning IPO markets are important for firm value creation. They demonstrate that corporate innovation is cumulative and is negatively affected by policy uncertainty.

This paper was accepted by Gustavo Manso, finance.
Strong Algorithms for the Ordinal Matroid Secretary Problem
Authors: Soto José A. , Turkieltaub Abner , Verdugo Victor
Published: February 2021

In the ordinal matroid secretary problem (MSP), candidates do not reveal numerical weights, but the decision maker can still discern if a candidate is better than another. An algorithm [Formula: see text] is probability-competitive if every element from the optimum appears with probability [Formula: see text] in the output. This measure is stronger than the standard utility competitiveness. Our main result is the introduction of a technique based on forbidden sets to design algorithms with strong probability-competitive ratios on many matroid classes. We improve upon the guarantees for almost every matroid class considered in the MSP literature. In particular, we achieve probability-competitive ratios of 4 for graphic matroids and of [Formula: see text] for laminar matroids. Additionally, we modify Kleinberg’s [Formula: see text] utility-competitive algorithm for uniform matroids of rank [Formula: see text] in order to obtain a [Formula: see text] probability-competitive algorithm. We also contribute algorithms for the ordinal MSP on arbitrary matroids.
Women in science: achievements and ambitions
Authors: Delanerolle Gayathri , Riga Evgenia , Thayanandan Tony , Griffiths James , Lawson Jennifer , Roberts Sophie , Haque Nyla , Sandle Natasha , Raymont Vanessa
Published: February 2021

International Women's Day will be celebrated on 8 March 2021. Much has changed in the modern world, but it is still a fact that women are underrepresented in many sectors; this is especially true in science and research. Colleagues from the Oxford Brain Health Clinical Trials Unit reflect on the historical contribution of women in STEM and what future challenges and successes may lay ahead.
Understanding the enigma of cluster headaches
Authors: Greener Mark
Published: February 2021

Cluster headache is one of the most painful disorders and one of the most enigmatic. Why the condition is intimately associated with sleep remains unclear, for instance. Most cluster headache patients are managed inadequately, although recent insights into the condition's biological basis have identified potential targets for innovative treatments. Meanwhile, a new study provides long-awaited evidence supporting the use of oral steroids. Mark Greener elaborates.
Alzheimer's disease research: past approaches and future directions
Authors: Yehuda Michael Ben , Lawson Jennifer , Raymont Vanessa
Published: February 2021

Background:

Three decades after the amyloid cascade hypothesis was first proposed, research into discovery of effective treatments for Alzheimer's disease has not yet produced any disease-modifying treatments.

Aims:

This review outlines the progress made by dementia research thus far, and provides a brief overview of the therapeutic approaches resulting from the amyloid cascade hypothesis. It then describes the shift in research focus to the early stages of the condition, the challenges it presents and potential consequences for care.

Methods:

A literature overview was undertaken by reviewing research papers, published protocols and policy guidelines.

Findings:

Past research has failed to produce effective treatments for dementia, yet the causes of this failure remain debated. Discovery of affordable, early biomarkers has emerged as a key target of investigation as the focus has shifted from treatment to prevention of the condition.

Conclusions:

Failures in identifying effective treatments for dementia have highlighted the importance of earlyidentification and intervention in patients as a way to prevent neurodegeneration and progression to dementia. Discovery of biomarkers is a key focus of current research. In the future, regular screening for dementia may be recommended for all older people in an effort to assess individual risk. Care may reflect a combination of early pharmacological interventions and lifestyle modification programmesbased on risk.
Best interests decisions: why Britain needs Charley's law
Authors: Finch John
Published: February 2021

John Finch examines the quality of justice meted out by the UK's highest court in relation to best interests decisions and questions whether its decisions represent some kind of justice in the case of patients seeking alternative treatment interventions.
The highs and lows of electrolytes part 2: calcium, phosphate and magnesium
Authors: Anderson Paula
Published: February 2021

There are six electrolytes that are important in maintaining homeostasis within the body. They play vital roles in regulating neurological, myocardial, muscular and cellular functions and are involved in fluid and acid–base balance. Recognising and treating electrolyte derangements is an important role for veterinary nurses especially in emergency and critical care patients. This series of two articles will discuss the physiology behind each of the six major electrolytes and discuss to monitor and treat any abnormalities.
Pet travel — the times they are a changing
Authors: Wright Ian
Published: February 2021

One of the largely overlooked aspects of Brexit was the changes to the pet travel rules. Ian Wright outlines what these changes mean for veterinary professionals and pet owners wishing to take their dog, cat or ferret abroad.
Low-Level Laser Therapy including Laser Acupuncture for Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Yeum Hyewon , Hong Yejin , Nam Dongwoo
Published: February 2021

Low-level laser therapy including laser acupuncture (LLLT/LA) has been widely used for non-specific chronic low back pain (NCLBP). However, there is no critically appraised evidence of its potential benefits. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of LLLT/LA for NCLBP. There were 12 databases (MEDLINE, CENTRAL, EMBASE, KoreaMed, KMBASE, KISS, NDSL, KISTI, OASIS, CNKI, CiNII, J-stage) searched for randomized controlled trials using LLLT/LA for NCLBP up until June 2019. The primary outcome was pain intensity and functional status/disability due to NCLBP. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted on 20 studies involving 1,323 participants. LLLT/LA showed a significant positive effect on pain relief scores compared with sham treatments (SMD -0.51, 95% CI: -0.88 to -0.13; χ2 = 31.12, I2 = 74%). Alone, the therapy showed a significant positive effect on function/disability scores (30 participants, MD -11.90, 95% CI: -17.37 to -6.43). As an add-on treatment, it showed a significant positive effect on pain relief (80 participants, MD -5.10, 95% CI: -9.31 to -0.88; χ2 = 28.99, I2 = 97%) and improved function/disability scores (120 participants, MD 5.44, 95% CI: 2.19 to 8.68; χ2 = 4.07, I2 = 75%). Among 20 studies, 9 studies reported no adverse events and 1 study reported mild adverse events. LLLT/LA may be an alternative or add-on treatment for NCLBP.
Single-dose and 4-week repeated dose Toxicity of Aconitum Sinomontanum Nakai Pharmacopuncture: An Experimental Study
Authors: Woo Sang Ha , Lee Jung Hee , Lee Cho-in , Lee Yun Kyu , Lee Hyun-Jong , Kim Jae Soo
Published: February 2021

Background: This study aimed to assess the toxicity of Aconitum sinomontanum Nakai (ASN) pharmacopuncture.Methods: To investigate the toxicity of ASN pharmacopuncture, single and 4-week repeated dose toxicity experiments were conducted on BALB/c mice. In the single-dose toxicity experiment, mice were assigned 1 of 4 groups (5 males, 5 females per group). Then, 31.25, 62.5, and 125 mg/kg of ASN pharmacopuncture were administered to the mice in the experimental groups at acupoint ST36, while 0.2 mL of normal saline was administered to the control group at ST36. After a 4-week repeated dose regimen, the mice were assigned into 4 groups (5 males, 5 females per group). Then, 15.625, 31.25, and 62.5 mg/kg of ASN pharmacopuncture at ST36 were administered to the mice in the experimental groups, while 0.2 mL of normal saline was administered to the control group at ST36. Mortality, morbidity, general body and organ weight changes (after 4 weeks repeated dose), serum hematological and biochemical values, and histopathological changes in the liver and kidney were observed.Results: In both single and 4-week repeated dose toxicity experiments, no deaths or symptoms occurred in any of the groups. There were no significant differences between groups in terms of body and organ weights, serum hematological and biochemical values, and specific organ histopathological changes.Conclusion: ASN pharmacopuncture injection did not demonstrate significant toxicity in BALB/c mice compared with the control group, with a no-observed-adverse-effect level for a single dose of >125 mg/kg, and for 4 weeks repeated dose it was more than 62.5 mg/kg/day
Comparative Observational Study on the Effects of Intra-articular Hominis Placenta Pharmacopuncture and Acupoint Hominis Placenta Pharmacopuncture for Knee Osteoarthritis Patients
Authors: Park Yeo-bin , Ahn Chang Beohm , Park Yun-Leong , Baek Ji-Won , Kong Won-Ho , Kim Bo-Sung , Lee Bong-ho , Jang Sun-hee , Song Choon-ho , Yoon Hyun-min , Kim Cheol-hong
Published: February 2021

The aim of this case report was to observe the effects of intra-articular hominis placenta pharmacopuncture (HPP). Based on the medical records patients who received intra-articular treatment or received acupoint pharmacopuncture treatment, a comparison was made. There were 35 patients who were hospitalized for degenerative osteoarthritis of the knee joint from the 1st October 2019 to 26th September 2020. There were 14 patients who were treated with HPP in the intra-articular joint space (Group A), and 14 patients who were treated with HPP at specific acupoints (Group B). The outcome effects were measured using the Korean Western Ontario and Mc (KWOMAC) the visual analog scale (VAS) before the first treatment, and after the fifth treatment. The KWOMAC (p < 0.001) and the VAS scores (p < 0.001) in Groups A and B significantly improved after treatment compared with before treatment. When comparing Group A improvement with Group B improvement using the KWOMAC there was no statistically significant difference however, when using the VAS scores, Group A treatment was statistically more effective compared with Group B (p = 0.002). This study indicated that HPP may be an effective treatment for knee osteoarthritis. Moreover, intra-articular HPP may be more effective than acupoint HPP for knee osteoarthritis.
Acupuncture for Symptomatic Rotator Cuff Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Choi Seoyoung , Lee Jisun , Lee Seunghoon , Yang Gi Young , Kim Kun Hyung
Published: February 2021

The objective was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for patients with rotator cuff diseases.
There were 12 electronic databases and 3 trial registries searched up to November 30th, 2019. All randomized trials were eligible, regardless of language, date of publication, or settings. The primary outcomes were pain, shoulder function, and proportion of improved participants assessed within 12 weeks of randomization of the trial. The Cochrane risk of bias for the studies was assessed. Effects sizes were presented as a risk ratio, mean difference, or standardized mean difference with a 95% confidence intervals. Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach was adopted to rate certainty of evidence.
Of the 3,686 records screened, 28 randomized trials (2,216 participants) were included in this review. The types of acupuncture included manual acupuncture, dry needling, electroacupuncture, acupotomy, warm needle acupuncture, and fire needle acupuncture. All of the studies had an unclear or high risk of bias related to more than 1 domain. Significant benefits of acupuncture in terms of pain and shoulder function were observed in all comparisons, however, the proportion of improved participants was not described in 2 comparisons. There was substantial heterogeneity among meta-analyzed trials. No serious harm was observed. For primary outcomes, the overall certainty of evidence was very low.
There was very low certainty of evidence for the benefits of acupuncture for patients with rotator cuff diseases. The safety of acupuncture remains unclear due to the incompleteness of reporting. Future welldesigned randomized trials with transparent reporting are required.
Seizure after Subdural Hematoma Treated with Combination Western-Korean Medicine
Authors: Jeong Jae Eun , Lee You Jung , Choi Yeon Ah , Park Jang Mi , Lee Seung Min , Jo Na Young , Lee Eun Yong , Lee Cham Kyul , Roh Jeong Du
Published: February 2021

Combined Western-Korean medicine treatments were given to a 67-year-old woman with late onset seizures who underwent surgical drainage of a subdural hematoma. Clonazepam and herbal medicine was prescribed. Acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, chuna, and physical therapy were also performed. The frequency and intensity of seizures was assessed using the Chalfont Seizure Severity Scale. The seizure index score improved from 25 at admission to 0 at discharge. Pain in the right upper extremity reduced from 10 to 0 on the visual analogue scale and muscle strength increased from Grade 3 to 5 in Medical Research Council Scale for the Manual Muscle Test. At the time of hospitalization, the manual muscle strength tests for the affected shoulder, elbow, wrist, and grip strength were 30%, 60%, 10%, 5%, respectively, which improved almost 100% by discharge. Further studies using combined Western-Korean medicine for seizures after strokes are necessary to determine the most effective treatment.
Ultrahigh sensitive surface plasmon sensor using a nanofilm coated D-type
photonic crystal fiber
Authors: Liu Xuanyi , Melwin G. , Gandhi M. S. Aruna , Fu H. Y. , Babu P. Ramesh , Senthilnathan K. , Li Qian
Published: February 2021

We investigate a novel, to the best of our knowledge, D-type photonic crystal fiber-based refractive
index microbiosensor that works on surface plasmon resonance. We study
the performance of the proposed sensor using the finite element
method. Further, we analyze the influence of various materials,
namely, gold, silver, and indium tin oxide that are deposited on the
D-type fiber surface. Of these metals, gold has been examined to be
advantageous owing to its enhanced sensitivity and greater chemical
stability. The proposed microbiosensor exhibits a high wavelength
sensitivity of 19,000 nm/RIU in the sensing range of 1.40–1.41, and
its wavelength interrogation resolution is

5.26
×

10

−
6

RIU. Besides, this novel scheme
provides a high amplitude sensitivity of

569

R
I
U

−
1

with the corresponding resolution of

2.63
×

10

−
6

RIU. Further, the linearity of the
proposed microbiosensor,

R

2

, is 0.9745 in the sensing environment
of the refractive index ranging between 1.31 and 1.40. Finally,
optimizing the metal coating thickness, diameter of the air-hole, and
the lattice pitch of the proposed sensor have been conducted
systematically, in order to augment the sensing performance of the
proposed sensor. We foresee that the proposed microbiosensor would
turn out to be an appropriate candidate in sensing the analytes of
high refractive index.
Compact silicon-based TE-pass polarizer using a symmetrical triple-guide directional coupler including SWG structures and hybrid plasmonic waveguides
Authors: Yang Nan , Xiao Jinbiao
Published: February 2021

A compact and broadband silicon-based transverse-electric (TE)-pass polarizer based on a symmetrical triple-guide directional coupler (TW-DC) is presented and analyzed in detail, assisted with subwavelength gratings (SWGs) and hybrid plasmonic waveguides (HPWs), where the SWGs are involved at the inner part of its central waveguide and two HPWs are introduced and symmetrically located at its outer sides. By carefully improving the structural parameters, only the injected TE mode can be supported by SWGs, and it passes through the device directly due to phase mismatching, while the input TM mode will be supported in the strip waveguides and coupled to the adjacent HPWs due to phase matching and gradually attenuated via the metals. As a result, a compact TE-pass polarizer is realized. Results show that the proposed polarizer has a total coupling length of 6 µm, with an extinction ratio (ER) of 31.2 dB, insertion loss (IL) of 0.1 dB, and reflection loss (RL) of

−

26.2

d
B

at 1.55 µm, and its operation bandwidth can be up to 270 nm (from 1.43 to 1.7 µm) for

E
R

>

20

d
B

and

I
L

<

1

d
B

. In addition, fabrication tolerances to the key structural parameters and field evolution through the proposed device are given.
Static compression optical coherence elastography to measure the mechanical properties of soft contact lenses
Authors: Quince Zachery , Alonso-Caneiro David , Read Scott A. , Collins Michael J.
Published: February 2021

In this study, a novel method was developed for estimating the elastic modulus (Young’s modulus) of soft contact lens materials using static compression optical coherence elastography. Using a commercially available spectral domain optical coherence tomography instrument, an experimental setup was developed to image a soft contact lens sample before and during compression with a known applied force, from which the lens material’s mechanical properties can be derived. A semi-automatic segmentation method using graph-search theory and dynamic processing was used to trace the lens boundaries and to determine key structural changes within the images. To validate the method, five soft contact lens materials with a range of known elastic moduli and water contents were tested. The proposed method was successful in estimating the Young’s modulus in the five different soft contact lens materials. It was demonstrated that the method provides highly repeatable measurements, with an intraclass correlation coefficient of >95%. The Young’s modulus results were compared to published manufacturer data with no significant difference for four out of the five materials (p > 0.05). These results demonstrate that a static compression optical coherence tomography method can reliably measure the elastic modulus of soft contact lenses. This provides a methodology that can be used to explore in vitro contact lens mechanical properties, but more importantly, may also be extended to study the mechanical characteristics of in vivo or ex vivo tissue, provided that they can be imaged using OCT.
Single-mode spatiotemporal soliton attractor in multimode GRIN fibers
Authors: Zitelli M. , Ferraro M. , Mangini F. , Wabnitz S.
Published: February 2021

Experimental and numerical studies of spatiotemporal femtosecond soliton propagation over up to 1 km spans of parabolic graded-index fibers reveal that initial multimode soliton pulses naturally and irreversibly evolve into a single-mode soliton. This is carried by the fundamental mode of the fiber, which acts as a dynamical attractor of the multimode system for up to the record value (for multimode fibers) of 5600 chromatic dispersion distances. This experimental evidence invalidates the use of variational approaches, which intrinsically require that the initial multimode propagation of a self-imaging soliton is indefinitely maintained.
Investigation and assessment of ecological water resources in the salt marsh area of a salt lake: A case study of West Taijinar Lake in the Qaidam Basin, China
Authors: Zhao Lu , Wang Xiao , Ma Yujun , Li Shuya , Wang Liuzhi
Published: February 2021

The water ecology of salt marshes plays a crucial role in climate regulation, industrial production, and flood control. Due to a poor understanding of water ecology and the extensive mining of salt resources, concerns are mounting about declining groundwater levels, shrinking salt marshes, and other problems associated with the simple yet extremely fragile water ecosystem of salt marshes in arid salt lake areas. This study assessed the ecological status of water resources in the downstream salt marsh area of West Taijinar Lake in the Qaidam Basin, China (2010–2018). Using data from a field investigation, the water ecosystem was divided into an ecological pressure subsystem, an environmental quality subsystem, and a socio-economic subsystem according to an analytic hierarchy process. Each subsystem was quantitatively assessed using the ecological footprint model, the single-factor index, and available data for the salt marsh area. The results showed that water resources were always in a surplus state during the study period, whose development and utilization had a safe status. Surface water had low plankton diversity with no evidence of eutrophication, but its Cl- and SO42- concentrations were too high for direct industrial water uses. Groundwater quality was classified into class V because of high salt concentrations, which could be considered for industrial use given the demand of industrial production. The socio-economic efficiency of water resources was high, as distinguished by decreased water consumption per 10,000 yuan GDP and excellent flood resistance. In conclusion, the ecological status of water resources was deemed good in the study area and this could help sustain regional development. However, since the water ecology in this area is mainly controlled by annual precipitation, it would be challenging to deal with the uneven distribution of precipitation and flood events and to make full use of them for groundwater recharge. This study provides insight into the impact of salt lake resource exploration on water ecology, and the results can be useful for the rational utilization of water resources in salt marshes in other arid areas.