bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification of A Novel circRNA, hsa_circ_0065898, That Regulates Tumor Growth in Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Li Ni , Liu Jie , Deng Xiaohui
Published: July 2020

Background: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been reported to play an important role in regulating tumor pathogenesis and progression. The molecular mechanism of circRNAs in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) remains poorly understood. We aimed to identify the circRNAs differentially expressed, and to investigate the role of a novel circRNA, hsa_circ_0065898, in regulating proliferation, migration, and invasion in CSCC.Methods: The online Kaplan-Meier Plotter was used to analyze the relationship between miRNA expression and overall survival. Bioinformatics tools, such as R, Cytoscape, and Perl, were used to analyze the Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and regulatory network. The expression level of hsa_circ_0065898 in CSCC cell lines was evaluated using quantitative polymerase chain reaction in vitro. The cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and transwell assays were used to assess cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Results: circRNA expression data (GSE102686) was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, and this included data from 5 CSCC patients and 5 normal tissues. Thirteen differentially expressed circRNAs were identified, which included 9 upregulated circRNAs and 4 downregulated circRNAs. GO enrichment analysis showed that the target genes of miRNAs associated with hsa_circ_0065898 were enriched in ubiquitin-protein transferase activity, ubiquitin-like protein transferase activity, core promoter sequence-specific DNA binding, mRNA 3′-UTR AU-rich region binding, core promoter binding, AU-rich element binding, ubiquitin-like protein ligase activity, and transcription corepressor activity. KEGG results showed that the Hippo and p53 signaling pathways played significant role in the pathway network. Hsa_circ_0065898 was significantly overexpressed in the CSCC cell lines. Hsa_circ_0065898 facilitated cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in CSCC.Conclusions: This study identified differentially expressed circRNAs and constructed the regulatory network of hsa_circ_0065898 targeting microRNAs and mRNAs. We demonstrated that hsa_circ_0065898 promoted CSCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Hence, hsa_circ_0065898 might be useful as a biomarker for CSCC diagnosis and targeted therapy.
Knowledge of Vasectomy and its Associated Factors Among Married Men in Debre Tabor Town, Northwest Ethiopia: A community Based Cross-sectional Study.
Authors: Ayele Alemu Degu , Beyene Fentahun Yenealem , Kassa Bekalu Getnet , Mihretie Gedefaye Nibret
Published: July 2020

Background: - Even though vasectomy is one of the safest, simple and most effective family planning methods available for men, it is one of the least used contraceptive methods in developing world including Ethiopia. The main reason for low level use may be low knowledge about vasectomy among men. This study was therefore designed to assess knowledge of vasectomy and its associated factors among married men in Debre Tabor Town.Methods: - A community based cross-sectional study was conducted among 418 married men from December 05 - 25, 2019. Simple random sampling technique was employed. Data was collected by face to face interview using structured and pre-tested questionnaire. Data was entered using Epi- Data version 4.2 and analyzed by SPSS version 23. The association between variables was analyzed using bivariable and multivariable logistic regression model. Finally variables having p-value < 0.05 at 95% CI were considered as statistically significant. Results: A total of 418 participants were included with response rate of 98.8%. The mean age of participant was 38.06 (SD± 6.873) years. About 60.5% of men had ever heard about vasectomy. Men mentioned health care providers as main source of information. Among those who had ever heard, only 58.8% defined vasectomy correctly. About 25.6% equated vasectomy with castration and about 15.6% described as “it is making the man impotent. In this study, only 38.5% of men were knowledgeable about vasectomy. Multivariable logistic regression showed that completing secondary education (AOR= 4.70, 95% CI: 1.26--17.55), attending college and above (AOR=8.36, 95% CI: 2.41-28.97)), having 4 or more alive children (AOR=0.51, 95% CI: 0.29-0.89) and positive attitude (AOR= 2.47, 95% CI: 1.58-3.86) were significantly associated with knowledge of vasectomy. Conclusions: In this study level of knowledge of married men about vasectomy was low. Educational status, number of children and attitude were statistically significant with men knowledge about vasectomy. Emphasis should be given on improving the educational status of men to improve their knowledge, and positively changing the men upbringing culture right from their childhood which will also improve their attitude towards vasectomy in the future.
Serum Levels of Bone Formation and Resorption Markers in Relation to Vitamin D Status in Professional Athletes and Physically Active Men During Upper and Lower Body High-intensity Exercise
Authors: Mieszkowski Jan , Kochanowicz Andrzej , Piskorska Elżbieta , Niespodziński Bartłomiej , Siódmiak Joanna , Buśko Krzysztof , Olszewska-Słonina Dorota , Antosiewicz Jedrzej
Published: July 2020

Purpose/Introduction: To compare serum levels of bone turnover markers in athletes and non-athletes, and to evaluate the relationship between serum levels of vitamin D metabolites and exercise-induced changes in biomarker levels. Methods: Sixteen elite male artistic gymnasts (EG; 21.4 ± 0.8 years-old) and 16 physically active men (the control group, PAM; 20.9 ± 1.2 years-old) performed lower and upper body 30-s Wingate anaerobic tests (LBWT and UBWT, respectively). For biomarker analysis, blood samples were collected before, and 5 and 30 min after exercise. Samples for vitamin D levels were collected before exercise. N-terminal propeptide of type I collagen (PINP) was analysed as a marker of bone formation. C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX) was analysed as a marker of bone resorption.Results: UBWT fitness readings were better in the EG group than in the PAM group, with no difference in LBWT readings between the groups. UBWT mean power was 8.8% higher in subjects with 25(OH)D3 levels over 22.50 ng/ml and in those with 24,25(OH)2D3 levels over 1.27 ng/ml. Serum CTX levels increased after both tests in the PAM group, with no change in the EG group. PINP levels did not change in either group; however, in PAM subjects with 25(OH)D3 levels above the median, they were higher than those in EG subjects. Conclusion: Vitamin D metabolites affect the anaerobic performance and bone turnover markers at rest and after exercise. Further, adaptation to physical activity modulates the effect of anaerobic exercise on bone metabolism markers.
Business Open Big Data Analytics to Support Innovative Leadership and Management Decision in Canada
Authors: Delanoy Nadia , Kasztelnik arina
Published: July 2020

This paper summarizes how social media and other technologies continue to proliferate; the shifting economic landscape will precipitate more adaptive approaches for managers attempting to understand the multi-dimensional virtual aspects of communication with the artificial intelligence aspect. Also, we discover the different existing support of big data analytics to make a rational business decision. The methodology is the systematization literature sources within this context and approaches for the underlining approach to open big data analytics and support innovative leadership decisions in Canada. The paper is carried out in the following logical sequence to gain an understanding of how customer relations managers could utilize social media within a data analytics frame from scholar and practitioner perspectives. This literature research review original paper outlines the main themes including the role of social media, the experiences of using data analytics for customer relations management, and the notion that customer-centric technologies could change the dynamic of understanding customer intentions, leadership decisions and introduce the innovative management with using the big data analytics in place. The results of the critical thinking with analysis both authors can be useful for any business around the World that would like to start using Artificial Intelligence to support innovative management decisions. The emergent themes that were highlighted based on the realities of customer relations management may be significant to how the integration of social media feedback resulting from crowdsourcing in addition to existing data analytics could better position organizations in this evolving world. The implications of linking innovative management processes such as demographic analysis, platform understanding, and communication methods together are crucial for any public business with a global impact. Finally, the understanding of innovation management in a social media era and understanding how customers utilized open big data analytics sources could help leadership practices across industries around the World. Keywords: Big Data Analytics, Innovative Leadership, Management of Social Media, Open Sources.
Far-red Light Interacts with Plant Density to Change Photosynthate Allocation of Cucumber Seedlings and Their Subsequent Early Growth after Transplanting
Authors: Shibuya Toshio , Tsuchida Mizuki , Endo Ryosuke , Kitaya Yoshiaki
Published: July 2020

The light competition in dense plant stands may be disadvantageous in transplant production because competition stimulates stem elongation and can reduce photosynthate allocation to leaves; this, in turn, may reduce the early growth rate after transplanting. In this study, we focused on how the proportion of far-red (FR) light affected light competition among cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) seedlings and investigated the effects of the plant density × FR interaction on photosynthate allocation and subsequent early growth after transplanting. Seedlings at the cotyledon stage were planted into plug trays at densities ranging from 109 to 1736 plants/m2; then they were grown for 4 days under light-emitting diode (LED) light containing FR light (FR+) at approximately the same red-to-FR ratio as in sunlight (1.2) or under light containing no FR (FR−). The higher density significantly stimulated stem elongation under both FR+ and FR−, but the effect was small under FR−; this indicates that light competition in the dense stands was inhibited by reducing FR light. The higher plant density significantly increased photosynthate allocation to the stem and decreased allocation to the leaves under both FR+ and FR−; however, again, the effect was smaller under FR−. After transplanting the seedlings to pots, early growth decreased in the seedlings that allocated less photosynthate to their leaves. Our results indicate that light with reduced FR can mitigate the disadvantageous photosynthate allocation of transplants and the reduction of early growth after transplanting that are likely to occur as a result of light competition at high plant density.
Long-term fever in a child: what is the reason, how to examine, treat or not treat?
Authors: Zakharova I. N. , Osmanov I. M. , Tvorogova T. M. , Goryainova A. N. , Dmitrieva Yu. A. , Vorobyeva A. S. , Koroid N. V.
Published: July 2020

Long unclear fever in children of different ages remains one of the difficult and topical issues in the paediatric practice. Despite up-to-date techniques of laboratory and instrumental examination, verification of prolonged fever causes remains difficult; it cannot be deciphered in 10% of cases. It is especially important to differentiate fever from hyperthermia in paediatric practice. The article provides an overview of the status update on the issue. The mechanisms of fever and hyperthermia are described, criteria for fever of unknown origin are given. It is stated that infectious diseases under the guise of fever of unknown origin develop in 60–70% of children. Systemic connective tissue disease and vasculitis are detected in 20% of cases, hemato-oncological – in 5%, auto-inflammatory – in 5%, the cause of fever remains unknown in 10% of cases. The article provides clinical observations of children with diseases debuting as fever of unknown origin with the following diagnoses: juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), a systemic variant with high activity (DAS index 28 = 5.1 at the rate of < 2.6); mucocutaneous lymphonodular syndrome (Kawasaki syndrome), damages of cardiovascular system (small coronary artery aneurysms), bacterial-viral infection; auto-inflammatory syndrome – mevalonate kinase deficiency syndrome (hyper-IgD syndrome). Diagnostic approaches to the verification of febrile condition are outlined. It is noted that treatment should not be started in a stable condition of the patient without establishing the cause of the fever, and it is advisable to use only an antipyretic agent with central and peripheral effects, pronounced antipyretic effect, analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects.
Immuno-related endocrinopathy in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors
Authors: Yudin D. I. , Laktionov K. K. , Sarantseva K. A. , Borisova O. I. , Breder V. V. , Reutova E. V. , Beloyartseva M. F. , Kruteleva S. Yu. , Dzhanyan I. A.
Published: July 2020

Recently immune checkpoint inhibitors amazingly changed the landscape of cancer therapy worldwide. The number of immune checkpoint molecules in clinical practice is constantly increasing. There are some monoclonal antibodies recently registered in the Russian Federation: anti-PD1 antibodies (nivolumab, pembrolizumab), anti-PD-L1 (atezolizumab, durvalumab), anti-CTLA-4 (ipilimumab). Immune-mediated endocrinopathies are some of the most common complications of immunotherapy. According to the results of clinical studies, the incidence of serious endocrine immuno-mediated adverse events with anti-PD1 monoclonal antibodies is low (3.5–8%). The use of anti-CTLA4 antibodies, combined regimens, and the use of immunotherapy after chemoradiotherapy significantly increase the incidence of serious adverse events to 30%. In clinical practice of N.N. Blokhin Cancer Research Center among 245 non-small cell lung cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma patients treated with immunotherapy, 22 (8,9%) developed an immune-mediated endocrinopathy. Most patients developed adverse events of 1–2 degrees, in two patients – 3 degrees, requiring discontinuation of treatment. The aim of this article was to provide useful information and recommendations regarding the management of common immuno-related endocrine adverse events (including hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, pituitary, adrenal insufficiency) for clinical oncologists.
Practical recommendation for treatment of patients with colon cancer during covid-19 pandemic
Authors: Fedyanin M. Yu.
Published: July 2020

Restrictions on the cancer care in an epidemic are observed in the most countries of the world. The first small publications gave information of the increased susceptibility of cancer patients to a new infection which led to the postpone of elective surgery, initiation of adjuvant therapy, and the transfer of specialist consultations to telemedicine. The cases of infections of medical personnel, as well as the reassignment of clinical units and clinics that previously assisted cancer patients to the treatment of patients with COVID-19, also contributed. This article presents the experience of treating viral infections in cancer patients from different countries. On the example of colon cancer, treatment approaches are considered that, in conditions of increased epidemic danger, will allow our patients to provide effective antitumor treatment. We recommend to use short course of radiotherapy with chemotherapy in patients with locally-advanced rectal tumors; short course of adjuvant chemotherapy in stage 3 colon cancer; rational decisions for choosing regimen in 1st and subsequent lines of systemic therapy in patients with metastatic disease.
Post-neoadjuvant treatment of breast cancer
Authors: Semiglazov V. F. , Dzhelialova M. A. , Yerechshenko S. S. , Munaeva E. T. , Pesotsky R. S. , Tseluyko A. I. , Emelyanov A. S. , Donskikh R. V. , Krivorotko P. V.
Published: July 2020

Achieving a pathologic complete response as a result of neoadjuvant treatment is associated with improved prognosis in breast cancer. The CREATE-X trial showed a significant survival improvement with capecitabine treatment of patients with residual invasive disease following neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and the KATHERINE trial demonstrated a significant benefit of trastuzumabemtansine (TDM1) in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer who did not achieve a pathologic complete response, so we have a lot of interesting alternatives of post-neoadjuvant treatments for high-risk patients. The discovery of molecular markers of resistance to endocrinotherapy (cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK 4/6), ER mutation (ESR1), mTOR signaling pathway, co-expression of ER+/HER2+) and inhibitors to them expanded the possibilities of endocrinotherapy not only in advanced and metastatic breast cancer, but also in residual ER+ tumors. The pCR rates in hormone receptor-positive breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy are around 10%, which is much lower than the values observed in HER2-positive and triple negative subtypes, so new strategies are needed to improve pCR rates in this subgroup, even though the adjuvant endocrine therapy impacts significantly the outcomes of this patients. The cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are serine–threonine kinases that regulate cell cycle progression from the G1 to the S-phase during mitosis. CDKs activity can be abnormally increased or dysregulated in breast cancer, leading to a constant stimulus for cell proliferation and survival, which is a known mechanism of resistance to endocrine treatment. The CDK inhibitors act on CDKs and block their activity, thereby restoring the cell cycle regulation. In studies with metastatic hormone receptor-positive breast cancer patients, the combination of a CDKis with first or second-line endocrine therapy showed significant improvements in progression-free survival and response rates. Evolving techniques such as next-generation sequencing and gene expression profiles have improved our understanding of the biology of residual disease and also the mechanisms involved in treatment resistance.
A case report of immune-related pneumonitis after combined treatment of non small cell lung cancer
Authors: Denisova E. S. , Ardzinba M. S. , Laktionov K. K. , Yudin D. I. , Sarantseva K. A. , Shcherbakova G. V. , Marinichenko N. V.
Published: July 2020

Immunotherapy is the most promising method in the treatment of lung cancer, especially in connection with the rapidly growing development of monoclonal antibodies aimed at inhibiting immune checkpoints: anti-CTLA-4, anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1. Classic immuno-mediated adverse events that occur with this method of treatment can affect several organs, including the lungs. Pneumonitis is a potentially life-threatening complication and often requires rapid treatment with high doses of corticosteroids and antibacterial drugs. We present the case of a 67-year-old patient with primary multiple malignant tumors of the larynx and left lung after combined treatment and incomplete treatment with Nivolumab, complicated by immuno-mediated pneumonitis. This report highlights the importance of treating patients with contraindications to chemotherapy when specific antitumor treatment is required, as well as timely detection of a rare but dangerous adverse event: immuno-mediated pneumonitis that occurs during treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Thus, knowing the frequency of adverse events when using PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors, as well as the possible presence of comorbidities in patients, will make it easier for doctors to make informed decisions in the treatment of patients, and understanding the interaction of the tumor and the immune system will help determine the best predictors of response and further improve the results of treatment of patients with NSCLC.
Abemaciclib as an original inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase for the treatment of luminal HER2-negative disseminated breast cancer
Authors: Besova N. S.
Published: July 2020

Cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK4/6) inhibitors, namely palbociclib, ribociclib and abemaciclib, have become a new standard of treatment of patients with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative disseminated or metastatic breast cancer (HR+ HER2- MBC), regardless of the line of therapy, menopause status and other individual characteristics. Short-term CDK4/6 inhibition leads to reversible arrest in the G1 phase of the cell cycle with restoration of Rb-1 phosphorylation and the complete cell cycle after termination of inhibition. The drugs have individual characteristics despite the similar mechanism of action described in the article. Abemaciclib, which differs from palbociclib and ribociclib in chemical structure, shows higher selectivity for CDK4, less myelosuppressive effect, which makes it possible to take it continuously, greater lipophilicity, and interacts more actively with ATP, resulting in its ability to interact with other kinases as well. Abemaciclib, the only one of all CDK4/6 inhibitors, has been proven effective in the treatment of refractory HR+ HER2-MBC: the proportion of patients with objective effect (OE) was 19.7%, that with disease control was 42.4%, median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5.95 months, median overall survival (OS) was 22.32 months. Abemaciclib combined with fulvestrant in the second-line therapy increases the effectiveness of treatment compared with endocrinotherapy (ET) alone: median PFS increased to 16.9 months from 9.3 (p < 0.001), OE to 35 from 16% (p < 0.001) in the ITT population, median OS to 46.7 from 37.3 months (p = 0.01) for abemaciclib in combination with fulvestrant. The use of abemaciclib in combination with nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitors (NSAIs) compared with aromatase inhibitors (AI) alone in the first-line therapy demonstrated increased median PFS from 14.76 to 28.18 months (p = 0.000002) and increased OE (from 37 to 49.7% (p = 0.005) in the ITT population. Diarrhea is the common adverse event of abemaciclib, which develops in 82–90% of patients. It does not exceed severity level 3, the frequency of the latter does not exceed 13%, diarrhea is reversible, and can be stopped by using antidiarrheal drugs. ET in combination with abemaciclib makes it possible to improve the effectiveness of treatment in the most prognostically unfavourable patient population.
Conservative treatment of stage III lung cancer using chemoradiotherapy in hypofractionation mode, case report
Authors: Marinichenko N. V. , Laktionov K. K. , Nazarenko A. V. , Borisova T. N. , Ardzinba M. S. , Fedorova A. A. , Murashova P. V. , Ardzinba M. S.
Published: July 2020

Lung cancer is a leader in the world in terms of morbidity and mortality. Moreover, the number of patients with locally advanced forms of non-small cell lung cancer exceeds 30% of all newly diagnosed cases. The standard of treatment for patients with inoperable stage III lung cancer is chemoradiotherapy. Currently, ways to increase the effectiveness of chemoradiotherapy are being considered, in particular, local escalation of the radiation dose to the tumor, which allows personalizing approaches in the treatment of this category of patients. One of the most common complications of chemoradiotherapy is post-radiation pulmonitis, which requires timely diagnosis and treatment with glucocorticosteroids in severe cases. We present a case report of a patient with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer who received treatment as part of simultaneous chemoradiotherapy in the hypofraction mode, complicated by post-radiation pulmonitis. Successful treatment of complications led to the restoration of the general condition of the patient; during the follow-up examination, a complete response to the specific treatment was recorded. Thus, a promising method of treating patients with inoperable stage III non-small cell lung cancer is the option of simultaneous chemoradiotherapy with local escalation of the radiation dose to the tumor, while being wary of complications such as pulmonitis, allows for timely diagnosis and treatment of the condition.
Approaches to metastatic skin melanoma therapy in 2020: a dynamic way forward
Authors: Samoylenko I. V. , Demidov L. V.
Published: July 2020

The choice of first-line therapy for metastatic skin melanoma has become quite a difficult task in the last few years: a practicing oncologist has got drugs of different classes with different mechanisms of action – immune checkpoint blockers and BRAF/MEK tyrosine kinase inhibitors. In this study, the authors have tried to systematize their own experience and current scientific information about the treatment of patients with metastatic skin melanoma in the first and subsequent lines of therapy. The paper discusses the importance of correct initial assessment of the patient’s condition and prevalence of the process, the role of currently available biomarkers in metastatic skin melanoma, as well as the effectiveness and safety of possible first-line therapy options for this disease. Due to the lack of data for direct comparison of combined immunotherapy, combined targeted therapy, triple combination of BRAFi + MEKi + aPDl1 blockers and aPD1 monotherapy obtained from randomized studies, we have to draw parallels between studies with different diagnoses and different patient populations. Since the practicing oncologist has to do the same thing in his or her daily work, we believe that our review will be very useful for these doctors. The article also discusses the possibility of using drug therapy in the second and subsequent lines and a successful strategy to return to previous treatment in some cases. The clinical observation of a patient with metastatic foot skin melanoma, which has been observed in our department since 2010, is given as an illustration of the success of sequential treatment tactics with different drugs. Clinical observation shows the success of returning to some previously used therapy lines, including after the progression on them.
Screening of Significant Biomarkers Related to Prognosis of Cervical Cancer and Functional Study Based on lncRNA-associated ceRNA Regulatory Network
Authors: Ding Haiyan , Zhang Li , Zhang Chunmiao , Song Jie , Jiang Ying
Published: July 2020

Background:

Cervical cancer (CESC), which threatens the health of women, has a very high recurrence rate.

Purposes:

This study aimed to identify the signature long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) associated with the prognosis of CESC and predict the prognostic survival rate with the clinical risk factors.

Methods:

The CESC gene expression profiling data were downloaded from TCGA database and NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus. Afterwards, the differentially expressed RNAs (DERs) were screened using limma package of R software. R package “survival” was then used to screen the signature lncRNAs associated with independently recurrence prognosis, and a nomogram recurrence rate model based on these signature lncRNAs was constructed to predict the 3-year and 5-year survival probability of CESC. Finally, a competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNA) regulatory network was proposed to study the functions of these genes.

Results:

We obtained 305 DERs significantly associated with prognosis. Afterwards, a risk score (RS) prediction model was established using the screened 5 signature lncRNAs associated with independently recurrence prognosis (DLEU1, LINC01119, RBPMS-AS1, RAD21-AS1 and LINC00323). Subsequently, a nomogram recurrence rate model, proposed with Pathologic N and RS model status, was found to have a good prediction ability for CESC. In ceRNA regulatory network, LINC00323 and DLEU1 were hub nodes which targeted more miRNAs and mRNAs. After that, 15 GO terms and 3 KEGG pathways were associated with recurrence prognosis and showed that the targeted genes PTK2, NRP1, PRKAA1 and HMGCS1 might influence the prognosis of CESC.

Conclusion:

The signature lncRNAs can help improve our understanding of the development and recurrence of CESC and the nomogram recurrence rate model can be applied to predict the survival rate of CESC patients in clinical practice.
Inhibitory as well as Disaggregation Potential of Selected Hydroxy Benzoic Phytochemicals on Hen Egg-White Lysozyme Amyloidogenesis
Authors: Mandal Hitesh , Basak Arbin , Prabhu Taraka , Kolli Vidyalatha , Sarkar Nandini
Published: July 2020

Background:

Amyloids are a class of ordered protein aggregates which have been implicated
in the onset of several degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease,
Type II diabetes, and so on. Despite extensive research, the exact mechanism and the driving
factors for the amyloidogenesis process remain elusive. Identifying molecules which can effectively
inhibit and/or disaggregate the fibrils may be one effective therapeutic strategy against amyloidosis.

Objectives:

In the current study, few hydroxy-benzoic phytochemicals were selected to study their
effects on the formation as well as disaggregation of Hen Egg-White Lysozyme (HEWL) amyloids,
namely gallic acid, syringic acid, vanillic acid, and iso-vanillic acid.

Method:

Amyloidogenesis was monitored using methods like the thioflavin T assay, Field Emission
Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) studies. Further
protein conformational changes were monitored using methods like 8-Anilino-Naphthalene-1-Sulfonate
(ANS) fluorescence, Circular Dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, and guanidine hydrochloride
mediated stability studies. Computational approach was also employed to get an insight on the interaction(
s) between the selected compounds and HEWL using docking studies.

Result:

The selected compounds exhibited significant inhibitory as well as disaggregation effects on HEWL amyloids. In-teraction with the phytochemicals was also associated with considerable conformational changes in HEWL. Docking studies show role of hydrogen bonding between HEWL and the phytochemicals.

Conclusion:

Thus the current study throws light on the key factors that drive amyloid formation and hence will be helpful for development of effective therapeutics against amyloidosis.
Correlation of Waist to Calf Circumference Ratio and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Rao Harish A. , Harischandra Prakash , Yadav Srikanth
Published: July 2020

Introduction:

Diabetes mellitus is a well-known risk factor for cardiovascular disease because
of the accelerated process of atherosclerosis. Obesity is an established risk factor and has gained
immense importance in recent studies as an important risk factor for clinical cardiovascular disease, yet
the fundamental component stays unclear. Calf circumference is another form for lean mass and peripheral
subcutaneous fat and is inversely associated with the occurrence of carotid plaques (CP). Multiplicative
and opposite effects of both Calf Circumference (CC) and Waist Circumference (WC) in the
event of CP suggest that the two measures should be taken into account commonly while assessing vascular
risk profile.

Aim & Objective:

To ascertain if waist to calf circumference ratio (WCR) is a marker of carotid atherosclerosis
in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and the correlation between waist to calf circumference
ratio and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT ) in patients with Type 2 diabetes.

Materials and Methods:

A cross-sectional study at Hospital affiliated to Kasturba Medical college
Mangalore from Sept 2016 to Sept 2018.
Patients with type 2 DM as per ADA criteria, age >18years, are recruited for the study.

Results and Discussion:

In our study, with 150 population, 25 patients had carotid atherosclerosis and 20
patients had CIMT>1.1. The waist circumference in patients with CA is in the range of 93.07, and 99.85 &
the CC in patients with CA is in the range of 29.49 to 31.25. The WCR in patients with CA is in the
range of 3.12 to 3.26. The difference was statistically significant with a p-value of <0.05. In our study,
it was found that WC and WCR correlated well with carotid atherosclerosis, and surprisingly, calf
circumference also correlated with carotid atherosclerosis but not as significant as both WC and WCR.

Conclusion:

To conclude, in our population-based study of 150 subjects, we found that carotid atherosclerosis
is significantly more in people with increased waist calf circumference ratio. WCR may be a
new, useful, and practical anthropometric index that facilitates the early identification of diabetic subjects
with high risk for cardiovascular disease. Validation of this finding in individual populations is required.
Future studies should test the association of calf circumference with carotid intima-media thickness
and carotid plaques using better measures than ultrasound, such as magnetic resonance imaging.
Further research focusing on underlying mechanisms in the role of lean mass and peripheral fat mass is
required.
The Influence of Gender and Menopausal Status on Hba1c Variation in a Big Data Study of a Saudi Population
Authors: Alghamdi Abdullah S. , Alqadi Abdulaziz , Jenkins Richard O. , Haris Parvez I.
Published: July 2020

Background:

Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) is the gold standard measurement in the
screening, diagnosis and monitoring of diabetes mellitus. Saudi Arabia has a high prevalence of
diabetes mellitus that is expected to rise, and the HbA1c test is commonly used in the screening,
diagnosis and monitoring of diabetes.

Objective:

This study aims to assess the impact of age and gender on HbA1c levels, and the influence
of menopausal status on HbA1c variation in a large group of Saudis.

Method:

Age, gender, and HbA1c results of 168,614 Saudi adult individuals were obtained from
their medical records. Patients’ records were extracted irrespective of their status regarding the
presence of diabetes and the status of glycaemic control. Linear regression models were used for
predicting HbA1c from age and gender, and their interaction term. HbA1c levels were compared
between genders in different age groups and different HbA1c categories.

Results:

There was a statistically significant positive correlation between age and HbA1c levels,
where for each ten years increase in age, HbA1c increased by 0.35%. Although the overall mean
HbA1c in women was significantly lower than in men (P < 0.001), women showed a significant
increase in HbA1c with older age compared to men (B = 0.014, P < 0.001). Furthermore, the mean
HbA1c levels in the age group > 50 years was significantly higher than before that age (P < 0.001).
Thus, HbA1c increased by 1.118% in age > 50 years group compared to age ≤ 50 years, and this
increase in HbA1c was significantly higher in women compared to men (B = 0.495, P < 0.001).

Conclusion:

HbA1c levels are lower in women before the estimated menopausal age, which should
be taken into consideration when using HbA1c for screening, diagnosis, and monitoring of diabetes
in Saudi adult women. The short lifespan of red blood cells, due to loss of blood through menstruation,
in women before menopause age, is a possible reason for these variations.
Insight into the Mechanism of 17β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 3 Inhibition by the Androsterone Derivative RM-532-105
Authors: Stephen Preyesh , Roy Jenny , Maltais René , Poirier Donald
Published: July 2020

Background:

The last step in the production of androgen testosterone from 4-androstene-
3,17-dione (4-dione) in testis involves the 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 3 (17β-HSD3).
Blocking this microsomal enzyme with an inhibitor would lower the level of testosterone and, consequently,
could be an approach for the treatment of androgen-dependent diseases. RM-532-105 was
developed as a steroidal inhibitor of 17β-HSD3, but its mechanism of action is not yet known.

Objective:

To identify potential binding sites of the 17β-HSD3 substrate 4-dione, cofactor NADPH,
as well as inhibitor RM-532-105.

Methods:

Since there is no crystal structure of 17β-HSD3 available, complexed or not with a ligand,
a homology model was prepared followed by molecular docking, and enzymatic assay experiments
were performed.

Results:

Transfected LNCaP prostate cancer cells were used as a source of 17β-HSD3 activity for the
transformation of 4-dione into testosterone in the presence of varying concentrations of a substrate, a
cofactor or an inhibitor. Molecular modeling experiments and enzymatic assays with these cells suggest
a competitive action of RM-532-105 with the cofactor and a non-competitive action with the
substrate 4-dione.

Conclusion:

These results allow the selection of one inhibitor orientation in the enzyme binding site,
from the two possibilities predicted by the docking experiments, and appear to be in agreement with
previous structure-activity relationships.
Electrochemical Analysis for Pharmaceuticals by the Advantages of Metal Oxide Nanomaterials
Authors: Bozal-Palabiyik Burcin , Erkmen Cem , Kurbanoglu Sevinc , Ozkan Sibel A. , Uslu Bengi
Published: July 2020

Background:

Electrochemical methods in drug analysis have a lot of advantages, including
simplicity, speed, low-cost instrumentation, informing about the drug mechanism, and nonaffection
by excipients in dosage forms. Electrochemical techniques utilize the advantages of nanomaterials
to increase sensitivity and, in some cases, selectivity. Among these nanomaterials, metal
oxide nanoparticles are also preferred by researchers because of their unique properties such as biocompatibility,
stability, non-toxicity, and catalytic characteristic.

Objective:

This review provided brief information about metal oxide nanoparticles used in electrochemical
sensors and summarized applications for drug analysis with these sensors in tables showing
the studies in the literature during the last decade.

Results:

In the last decade, metal oxides are frequently used in electrochemical drug analysis as electrode
modifier individually and with other nanomaterials especially carbon-based ones. All these
studies showed that metal oxide nanoparticles increase the active surface area of the electrode and the
catalytic activity.

Conclusion:

When metal oxide nanoparticles and carbon-based nanomaterials are used together, they
create a synergistic effect that further increases catalytic activity and thus lowers detection limits to
be obtained in nM even pM levels.
Ocular COVID-19: Eyes as a Reservoir to Conceal and Spread SARSCoV- 2
Authors: Baig Abdul Mannan , Ahmad Saara , Khaleeq Areeba , Rafique Hamna , Rajput Shafiqa , Angez Mehaer , Hameed Ayesha , Nawaz Talha , Katyara Preet
Published: July 2020

Ocular tissues can serve as a reservoir for the SARS-CoV-2 virus which can not only
cause conjunctivitis but also serve as a source of infection transmission to others. Additionally, the
eye and its tear drainage apparatus can track the SARS-CoV-2 from the eye into the respiratory
tract of the patient. The potential ocular presence of the SARS-CoV-2 in the eye of a patient can target
ACE2 receptors in the endothelium of the conjunctival vessels and use the lacrimal sac a potential
space to evade immune detection and clinical isolation. The recently reported case of
COVID-19 after the acquisition of SARS-CoV-2 from a COVID-19 patient should alert the healthcare
professionals dealing with COVID-19 patients that wearing masks alone cannot guarantee protection
against infection transmission. Further studies, like isolation of SARS-CoV-2 from the eyes
of patients with COVID-19, are needed to identify the eyes as a potential source of SARS-CoV-2
infection transmission.
The Current Status and Constraints of Drought-Tolerant Maize Adoption in Uganda
Authors: Lee Hyejin
Published: July 2020

Agriculture is an economic backbone of many sub-Saharan African countries, including Uganda. However, the country is grappling with slow agricultural development and food insecurity. Concurrently, Uganda faces climatic challenges that likely become further constraints for agricultural production. Maize is one of its major crops and serves as a food and cash crop for smallholders. However, its productivity remains low. To improve maize productivity under increasing temperatures and droughts, drought-tolerant maize (DTM) has been released, but it is not widely adopted.

The objective of this study is, therefore, to review the current situation of DTM adoption in Uganda and identify characteristic differences between adopters and non-adopters and possible constraints for wider adoption. In doing so, available literature, policy documents and relevant reports on the subject were reviewed. The systemic approach was not feasible due to limited availability of reliable sources.

Drought-tolerant maize adopters in Uganda appeared to be better endowed with production resources such as larger farmland, be more informed, educated and experienced, have a larger household, use more inputs more efficiently, earn higher income and harvest better yield. Major constraints to DTM adoption included lack of awareness, limited seed availability and accessibility, complementary input requirement, existing DTM attributes and dubious market quality of seed and fertilizer. These constraints and adoption characteristics seemed intertwined as a virtuous or vicious cycle for DTM adoption.

Although a broad range of DTM adoption constraints is identified at a household, market and national level, DTM can be an effective means to improve maize productivity under climatic challenges in Uganda. To promote its adoption, the government should take more supportive measures and effective strategies for sustainable DTM uptake.
Self-Protection of Medical Workers in Traditional Hospitals and Clinics Against SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Authors: Kumar G.V. Narasimha , Kumar Arun , Sharma Mahima , Tripathi Ashish , Singh Shilpi , Verma Digvijay , Gupta Pankaj , Prajapati Suneel
Published: July 2020

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the most prevalent infectious human disease
spreading in several parts of the world caused by SARS Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). COVID-19
transmission is mainly spreading via the respiratory tract, personal contact, digestive tract and hospitalacquired
infections. Health care workers particularly working in clinics practicing traditional medicine
need to be in close contact with patients, so they have a higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this
paper, therefore, the personal-protective measures need to be followed by healthcare workers in traditional
medicine clinics during COVID-19 pandemic are emphasized, to enlighten them about selfprotection
and to improve the safety of such a special group of traditional healers.
Identifying and Predicting Intentional Self-Harm in Electronic Health Record Clinical Notes: Deep Learning Approach
Authors: Obeid Jihad S , Dahne Jennifer , Christensen Sean , Howard Samuel , Crawford Tami , Frey Lewis J , Stecker Tracy , Bunnell Brian E
Published: July 2020

Background

Suicide is an important public health concern in the United States and around the world. There has been significant work examining machine learning approaches to identify and predict intentional self-harm and suicide using existing data sets. With recent advances in computing, deep learning applications in health care are gaining momentum.

Objective

This study aimed to leverage the information in clinical notes using deep neural networks (DNNs) to (1) improve the identification of patients treated for intentional self-harm and (2) predict future self-harm events.

Methods

We extracted clinical text notes from electronic health records (EHRs) of 835 patients with International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes for intentional self-harm and 1670 matched controls who never had any intentional self-harm ICD codes. The data were divided into training and holdout test sets. We tested a number of algorithms on clinical notes associated with the intentional self-harm codes using the training set, including several traditional bag-of-words–based models and 2 DNN models: a convolutional neural network (CNN) and a long short-term memory model. We also evaluated the predictive performance of the DNNs on a subset of patients who had clinical notes 1 to 6 months before the first intentional self-harm event. Finally, we evaluated the impact of a pretrained model using Word2vec (W2V) on performance.

Results

The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for the CNN on the phenotyping task, that is, the detection of intentional self-harm in clinical notes concurrent with the events was 0.999, with an F1 score of 0.985. In the predictive task, the CNN achieved the highest performance with an AUC of 0.882 and an F1 score of 0.769. Although pretraining with W2V shortened the DNN training time, it did not improve performance.

Conclusions

The strong performance on the first task, namely, phenotyping based on clinical notes, suggests that such models could be used effectively for surveillance of intentional self-harm in clinical text in an EHR. The modest performance on the predictive task notwithstanding, the results using DNN models on clinical text alone are competitive with other reports in the literature using risk factors from structured EHR data.
Design, Use, and Effects of Sex Dolls and Sex Robots: Scoping Review
Authors: Döring Nicola , Mohseni M Rohangis , Walter Roberto
Published: July 2020

Background

Although sex toys representing human body parts are widely accepted and normalized, human-like full-body sex dolls and sex robots have elicited highly controversial debates.

Objective

This systematic scoping review of the academic literature on sex dolls and sex robots, the first of its kind, aimed to examine the extent and type of existing academic knowledge and to identify research gaps against this backdrop.

Methods

A comprehensive multidisciplinary, multidatabase search strategy was used. All steps of literature search and selection, data charting, and synthesis followed the leading methodological guideline, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews checklist. A total of 29 (17 peer reviewed) and 98 publications (32 peer reviewed) for sex dolls and sex robots, respectively, from 1993 to 2019 were included.

Results

According to the topics and methodologies, the sex doll and sex robot publications were divided into 5 and 6 groups, respectively. The majority of publications were theoretical papers. Thus far, no observational or experimental research exists that uses actual sex dolls or sex robots as stimulus material.

Conclusions

There is a need to improve the theoretical elaboration and the scope and depth of empirical research examining the sexual uses of human-like full-body material artifacts, particularly concerning not only risks but also opportunities for sexual and social well-being.