bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genkwanin glycosides from the Phaleria nisidai extract improve glucose homeostasis by stimulating insulin-independent glucose uptake.
Authors: Horváth Carla , Houriet Joelle , Moser Caroline , Balazova Lucia , Balaz Miroslav , Dong Hua , Horvath Aron , Efthymiou Vissarion , Rutz Adriano , Marcourt Laurence , Kitalong Chris , Graz Bertrand , Yano Victor , Queiroz Emerson , Wolfender Jean-Luc , Wolfrum Christian
Published: March 2022

Natural remedies are used as stand-alone treatments or as additives to modern medicine to control hyperglycemia. Here, we investigate the antidiabetic potential of the Palauan traditional leaf decoction of Phaleria nisidai (PNe) using a reverse pharmacology approach. In diet induced obese mice, dietary supplementation with PNe improves insulin sensitivity and promotes glucose uptake into adipose depots. In vitro, PNe triggers insulin-independent glucose disposal into murine and human adipocytes by upregulating Glut1 expression via PKC-ERK1/2 signaling. To identify PNe active principle(s), bioactivity-guided fractionations were performed. We decipher the genkwanin flavone glycosides as active principles found in PNe and demonstrate that the aglycone genkwanin (GE) improves insulin resistance to a comparable extent to metformin. We present GE as promising glucoregulatory phytochemical, which stimulates baseline glucose uptake into metabolically active adipocytes, thus dampening systemic glucose load and restoring insulin sensitivity.
Large-scale analysis reveals the distribution of novel cellular microbes across multiple biomes and kingdoms
Authors: Saary Paul , Kale Varsha , Finn Robert
Published: March 2022

Shotgun metagenomics provides access to genetic information of microbes in a culture-independent manner. The recovery of metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs) of these organisms enables in-depth analysis of the functional potential of these, often elusive, organisms. While workflows for the recovery of prokaryotic MAGs are established, MAGs of eukaryotic species are seldom reported. To address this, we developed new approaches to improve the recovery of eukaryotic MAGs and applied these to large collections of assembled metagenomes in an effort to systematically identify both prokaryotic and eukaryotic MAGs. Using these approaches we identified 99,073 prokaryotic and 751 eukaryotic genomes, and propose a method for reducing the redundancy of single-celled eukaryotic MAGs at the species level.
Optimizing intra-facility crowding in Wi-Fi environments using continuous-time Markov chains
Authors: Mizuno Shinya , Ohba Haruka
Published: March 2022

Recently, increased measures are being devised to reduce crowdedness as a countermeasure for the spread of COVID-19. In this study, we propose a solution to reduce intra-facility crowdedness based on the usage of Wifi networks. This study maximizes the Wi-Fi logs that are continually generated in vast quantities in the ever-expanding Wi-Fi network environment to calculate the transition probabilities between nodes and the mean stay time at each node. Then, we model this data as a continuous-time Markov chain to obtain the variance of the stationary distribution, which we use as a metric of intra-facility crowdedness. Therefore, to minimize intra-facility crowdedness, we solved the optimization problem using stay rate as a parameter and demonstrated a numerical solution. In the optimization results, we succeeded in reducing intra-facility crowding by approximately 30%. This solution is a realistic approach for reducing intra-facility crowdedness as it makes adjustments to people’s stay times without any changes in their movements. We used the k-means method to categorize Wi-Fi users into a set of classes and documented the behavioral characteristics of each class, which helped implement class-specific measures to reduce intra-facility crowdedness. This enables facility managers to implement fine-grained countermeasures against crowdedness according to circumstances. Herein, we describe our computing environment and workflow for the basic analysis of vast quantities of Wi-Fi logs. Because the data we used are general-purpose, we believe that this research will be useful for both analysts and facility operators.
Paresis as a limiting factor in the reproductive efficiency of a nesting colony of Lepidochelys olivacea in La Escobilla beach, Oaxaca, Mexico
Authors: Buenrostro-Silva Alejandra , García-Grajales Jesús , Sánchez-Nava Petra , Ruíz-Gómez María Lourdes
Published: March 2022

Rear flippers are crucial in the nesting process of olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea), so any impact on them could constitute a limiting factor in reproductive efficiency. Muscle weakness of the rear legs has been observed in some nesting females on La Escobilla beach in Oaxaca state, Mexico; however, this disorder has not been sufficiently researched. The aim of this study was to identify and describe this problem in a nesting colony of L. olivacea in La Escobilla. We obtained the biochemical profiles of eight females with clinical signs of muscle weakness of the rear legs, that could not build the incubation chamber for their nest. In order to compare their blood characteristics, we selected eight seemingly healthy turtles that successfully built their nests, laid eggs through oviposition and covered the nest. We found no significant differences in most of the blood parameters, except for Creatinine-Kinase (CK). Female turtles with muscle weakness presented significantly higher concentrations of CK (t = 2.1448, d. f.= 2, p<0.0001) when compared to the healthy turtles. CK is an appropriate enzyme for identifying the integrity of the muscle cell and is a muscle damage indicator. Our hypothesis is that the paresis observed in the rear legs of the female turtles in La Escobilla could be a chronic debilitation caused by a gradual exposure to biotoxins such as saxitoxins.
Modelling the Factors Associated With Quality of Life in Females With Osteoporosis: a Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Moradzadeh Rahmatollah , Zamanian Maryam , Taheri Maliheh
Published: March 2022

Background: Studying the important factors contributing to different Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) subscales is essential for implementing preventive measures to increase the HRQoL among osteoporotic patients. We here evaluated the variables affecting the mental and physical QoL in a sample population of Iranian osteoporotic women.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the participants included 111 women with osteoporosis in 2013. Physical and mental of QoL were measured by the ECOS-16 questionnaire. Other variables included T-score, age, body mass index, educational level, marital status, duration of the disease, history of bone fracture in the past year, the number of pregnancies, and weekly walking hours. Final regression coefficients were obtained based on the total effects of estimations (decompositions of effects into direct, indirect and total effects) by SEM analysis.Results: The mean scores of physical and mental domains of QoL were 54.12±21.22 and 54.42 ±25.11 respectively. Finally, the mean of T-score was -3.21± 0.92. Based on the regression coefficients calculated in the SEM model, the number of pregnancies(-1.18), and weekly walking hours(2.19) were the main determinants of physical aspect of QoL. Furthermore, age and weekly walking hours significantly influenced the mental aspect of QoL. Conclusions: The present study indicated that weekly walking hours, the number of pregnancies, and disease duration affected physical QoL while weekly walking hours and age were predictors of mental QoL. These results can provide a guide for healthcare decision-makers to improve the life style and HRQoL of patients with osteoporosis.
Acute Kidney Injury Prediction Model After Liver Transplantation Using Grafts From Donors After Cardiac Death
Authors: Liu Haixia , Wang Xin , Xu Manman , Wang Yi , Wu Jing , Lai Man , Li Guangming , Meng Qinghua
Published: March 2022

Background and Aims: Using grafts from donors after cardiac death (DCD) influence the risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) after liver transplantation (LT). The goal of this study is to develop a novel prediction model that quantifies the impact of each risk factor on AKI after transplantation using DCD grafts.Methods: Total of 132 patients undergoing LT using DCD grafts were evaluated retrospectively to develop a prediction model using the Cox proportional hazards regression model. The independent validation cohort included 112 patients recruited prospectively in the same institution. Results: Overall, 103 (42.2%) of the recipients developed AKI. A prediction score model included five risk factors leading to a range of -2 to 8 score points was establishment. The predicted probability of AKI by the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score≥15 alone was 43.9% rising to 85.3% when combined with cold ischemia time (CIT) ≥ 7 hours. Excessive red blood cell (RBC) transfusions during operation also attribute to AKI. Surprisingly, a mild elevate AST pre-transplant was negative with the AKI, while mechanical ventilation ≥ 40 hours was associate with AKI after LT. Three risk classes were defined based on the risk of AKI: high (30%), medium (11-29%), and low (10%). Model fits were adequate in both derivation (P=0.3185) and validation cohorts (P=0.3247).Conclusion: MELD score and CIT were the key determinants of post-LT AKI using DCD grafts. Improved organ preservation techniques and other strategies reducing the IRI may lower the risk of AKI.
First-Principles Study Of The Electronic And Optical Properties Of Ho W Impurities In Tungsten Disulfide
Authors: Leuenberger Michael N. , Khan M. A.
Published: March 2022

The electronic and optical properties of single-layer (SL) tungsten disulfide (WS2) in the presence of substitutional Holmium impurities (HoW) are studied. Although Ho is much larger than W, density functional theory (DFT) including spin-orbit coupling is used to show that Ho:SL WS2 is stable. The magnetic moment of the Ho impurity is found to be 4.75µB using spin-dependent DFT. The optical selection rules identified in the optical spectrum match exactly the optical selection rules derived by means of group theory. The presence of neutral HoW impurities gives rise to localized impurity states (LIS) with f-orbital character in the band structure. Using the Kubo-Greenwood formula and Kohn-Sham orbitals we obtain atom-like sharp transitions in the in-plane and out-of-plane components of the susceptibility tensor, Imχ∥ and Imχ⊥. The optical resonances are in good agreement with experimental data.
A retrospective analysis of risk factors for massive hemoptysis in patients with bronchiectasis 1
Authors: Luo Ling , Luo Jing , Jiang Yu
Published: March 2022

Background: Massive hemoptysis is a common and fatal complication of bronchiectasis. However, the risk factors for massive hemoptysis in patients with bronchiectasis have not yet been reported. This study investigated the potential risk factors for massive hemoptysis in patients with bronchiectasis.Methods: This retrospective study included patients with bronchiectasis and their data were obtained from medical records. The risk factors for massive hemoptysis were evaluated by multivariate analysis of patient characteristics, medical history, and computed tomography imaging data, including the number of lesions, lesion location, and laboratory findings.Results: Among 379 patients, 61 (16.09%) experienced severe hemoptysis. Multivariate analysis revealed that diabetes (odds ratio (OR), 2.885; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.009–8.247), lesions involving two lobes (OR, 4.347; 95% CI, 1.960–9.638) and three lobes (OR, 2.787; 95% CI, 1.055–7.363) were significant predictors of severe hemoptysis. However, a disease course between 1 and 5 years (OR, 0.300; 95% CI, 0.112–0.801) and involvement of the left lower lobe (OR, 0.394; 95% CI, 0.196–0.793) were protective factors for the prevention of massive hemoptysis. Lesions in the right upper lobe were more likely to cause massive hemoptysis (OR, 1.458) than involvement of other lobes.Conclusions: Diabetes and lesions involving two and three lobes, were risk factors for massive hemoptysis in patients with bronchiectasis. Disease duration between 1 and 5 years and involvement of the left lower lobe were protective factors, while lesions in the right upper lobe had a stronger relationship with massive hemoptysis in patients with bronchiectasis.
Surgical techniques and oncologic outcomes of pure transperitoneal laparoscopic radical nephroureterectomy for upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma
Authors: Yuan Changwei , Xu Chunru , Wang Jie , Zhu WeiJie , Meng Chang , Du Yicong , Zhang Cuijian , Fang Dong , Li Xuesong , Zhou Liqun
Published: March 2022

Introduction: To discuss the clinical feasibility and oncologic outcomes of pure transperitoneal laparoscopic radical nephroureterectomy (LSRNU) for upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC).Methods: Between July 2010 and December 2020, 115 patients were admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of UTUC treated with pure LSRNU by one surgeon. A special laparoscopic bulldog clamp was placed at the bladder cuff before cutting and suturing. The clinical and follow-up data were preoperatively collected and analyzed. Overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were estimated by the Kaplan–Meier method.Results All surgeries were completed uneventfully. The mean operative time was 145.69 minutes. The mean estimated blood loss was 56.61 ml. The mean removal time of the drain was 3.46 days. The mean time to liquid diet was 1.32 days, and the ambulation time was 1.50 days. All surgeries were effectively completed, and no case required open conversion. According to the Clavien–Dindo classification system, postoperative complications occurred in two patients (II, III). The mean length of postoperative hospital stay was 5.78 days. The median follow-up duration was 54.50 months. Recurrence in the bladder was 16.0% (15/94), compared with 4.6% (4/87) in the contralateral upper tract. The 5-year OS and CSS rates were 78.9% and 81.4%, respectively.Conclusion Pure transperitoneal laparoscopic RNU is a safe and effective minimally invasive technology for the management of UTUC.
Classification and Comparison of Bacterial Resistance and Resistance Learning Against Low Dose Irradiation
Authors: Oskouei Soroush , Feghhi Seyed Amir Hossein , Soleimani Neda
Published: March 2022

Survival ability and adapting capability of microorganisms under irradiation are not fully classified so far, however, many pathways of resistance and many types of resistant bacteria have been studied previously. In this experiment, we surveyed the adaptive resistance of five Gram-negative bacteria against gamma radiation (100 Gy to 1000 Gy) which is one of the challenges facing living organisms in certain environments. Bacterial strains were standard strains taken from hospitals and research centers. Growth ability and comparison were performed by evaluating optical density measurement with a spectrophotometer. Radiation was applied up to 1000 Gy using a gamma cell in a standard irradiation facility. New findings in this experiment, besides the wide comparison of the variety of Gram-negative strains under the same irradiation process, is classifying their learning capability, which can be used to manipulate or modify some types to become resistant in a much shorter period than natural resistance learning, for special purposes. The experiment accomplished the study of their learning ability to resist the same type of ionizing radiation. Two classes were observed, those with learning ability that could become more resistant, and the other that could not learn how to resist (during the study conditions). Salmonella Typhi was the most resistant strain among the studied group (P-value < 0.005), however, unlike the Enterobacter Aerogenes and Escherichia coli, results show that S. Tiphy does not possess the adapting capability to this kind of radiation under these methodological circumstances (P-value < 0.05).
Influence of concomitant percutaneous transluminal angioplasty with percutaneous coronary intervention on cardiovascular and limb outcomes in patients with chronic stable lower extremity artery diseases
Authors: Lee Yonggu , Kim Byung-Sik , Shin Jeong-Hun , Kim Woo-Hyun , Kook Hyungdon , Park Hwan-Cheol , Park Minae , Park Sojeong , Lim Young-Hyo
Published: March 2022

Concomitant percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) at the time of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is often performed because lower extremity artery disease (LEAD) often coincides with coronary artery disease. We investigated the impact of concomitant PTA on both cardiovascular and limb outcomes in the Korean National Health Insurance Service registry. Among 78,185 patients undergoing PCI, 6,563 patients with stable LEAD without limb ischemia were included. After 1:5 propensity score-matching was conducted, 279 patients in the PTA + PCI group and 1,385 patients in the PCI group were compared. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard models showed that the risk of all-cause death was higher in the PTA + PCI group than in the PCI group whereas the risks of myocardial infarction, repeat revascularization, stroke, cardiovascular death and bleeding event were not different between the 2 groups. In contrast, the risks of end-stage renal diseases and unfavorable limb outcomes were higher in the PTA + PCI group. Mediation analyses revealed that amputation and PTA after discharge significantly mediated the association between the concomitant PTA and all-cause death. Concomitant PTA was not associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events but may increase the risk of all-cause death mediated by unfavorable renal and limb outcomes in patients with stable LEAD.
A diazeniumdiolate-based NO donor induces apoptosis by modulating the CIP2A/PP2A/ERK signaling axis
Authors: Xing YiHao , Hu Yile , Xu Jinglei , Xie Huaxia , Liu Ling
Published: March 2022

Cancerous inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A(CIP2A) modulates the activity of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). PP2A is part of the principal regulators of MAPKs through dephosphorylating tyrosine or threonine residue, resulting in down-regulation of their activities. The present study aimed to assess the inhibition of CIP2A and dephosphorylated effect of PP2A on the ERK signaling pathway in JS-K-induced apoptosis. Cells were noticeably inhibited in a time- and concentration-dependent manner after treatment with JS-K. JS-K could cause an increase in Bax, a decrease in Bcl-2, and subsequent activation of caspase cascade through the release of NO. Meanwhile, JS-K stimulated a significant decrease of CIP2A expression whereas an enhancement of PP2A expression. Furthermore, the effects of JS-K on upregulation of PP2A, downregulation of phosphorylated ERK, and activation of cleaved-caspase-3 and cleaved-PARP were enhanced in CIP2A siRNA-interfered cells. However, overexpression of CIP2A could cancel the effects of JS-K on upregulation of PP2A, downregulation of phosphorylated ERK, and activation of cleaved-caspase-3 and cleaved-PARP. In addition, dephosphorylation of MEK, ERK, Elk-1, c-Myc, and c-Fos stimulated by JS-K was declined in PP2A siRNA cells. Conversely, overexpression of PP2A could strengthen the effects of d dephosphorylation of MEK, ERK, Elk-1, c-Myc, and c-Fos stimulated by JS-K. Simultaneously, the apoptotic cells were reduced in PP2A/C siRNA cells but increased in overexpression of PP2A cells. Taking together, JS-K as a diazeniumdiolate-based NO donor induces apoptosis by modulating the CIP2A/PP2A/ERK signaling axis.
Investigating phosphorus loads removed by chemical and biological methods in municipal wastewater treatment plants in Poland
Authors: Preisner Michał , Smol Marzena
Published: March 2022

The article presents an analysis of the current methods for phosphorus removal applied in municipal wastewater treatment plants in Poland. Within the study, 131 wastewater treatment plants were investigated, constituting 17 630 500 population equivalent, which is about 1/3 of the overall population equivalent (designed) in Poland. The research was based on a detailed technical questionnaire analysis obtained from wastewater treatment plants operators and calculations of pure metal doses in the applied chemical reagents and their type per a treated wastewater volume, population equivalent and phosphorus load removed. The analysis results show that annually a minimum of 1 470 Mg of phosphorus removed by 35 wastewater treatment plants based entirely on biological treatment methods could be used for phosphorus recovery to produce struvite, calcium phosphate or other highly bioavailable alternative fertilizer products. Moreover, 1 490 Mg of phosphorus removed by other 17 wastewater treatment plants with a minimal coagulant dose (< 1 g of metal per m3 of wastewater), increase the base for phosphorus recovery to approx. 2 960 Mg per year using the sewage sludge or its dewatering liquors. These results suggest that the implementation of the means mentioned above would significantly increase the possibilities for obtaining phosphorus from secondary sources, especially in wastewater treatment plants without a direct access to sewage sludge incineration plants.
Rational Use of Nitrogen and Valuation of Organic Residues in Integrated Systems, in Comparison To Conventional Agricultural and Livestock Systems
Authors: Oliveira Joyce , Júnior Mario Santana , Maia Nayane , Junior José Carlos Dubeux , Gameiro Augusto , Kunrath Taise , Mendonça Gabriela , Simili Flavia
Published: March 2022

The rational use of nutrients is a key factor for the sustainability of agricultural systems. This study aimed to analyze the nitrogen balance and use efficiency, and the valorization of organic residues in integrated systems, in comparison to conventional agricultural and livestock systems. The experiment was assembled in a randomized blocks design with three replicates. Six production systems were compared, grain maize production (CROP) and pasture for beef cattle production (LS), and four ICLS (Integrated Crop-Livestock System) for grain maize production and pastures for beef cattle. In order to estimate the nutrient balance, all inputs and outputs at farm levels were considered, and in view of the results obtained for nutrient balance, the nutrient use efficiency was calculated. The CROP system presented higher nutrient use efficiency, but at the same time, it resulted in negative contributions for the nutrient balance lower amounts of nitrogen in the organic residues and lower valuation. The LS and ICLS provided a higher amount the N and valuation of organic residues. The presence of components such as pastures and the animal contribute in a positive production system, while reducing the needs for chemical fertilizers.
Pathogenesis of Aquatic Bird Bornavirus 1 in Domestic Chickens
Authors: Iverson Melanie , Leacy Alexander , Pham Phuc H. , Brouwer Emily , Nagy Eva , Lillie Brandon N. , Susta Leonardo
Published: March 2022

Aquatic bird bornavirus 1 (ABBV-1), classified in the Orthobornavirus genus, is a neurotropic virus that infects wild waterfowl causing persistent infection of the nervous system. Given the conspicuous presence of wild waterfowl in urban areas and farmlands, spillover of this virus into domesticated poultry species is a concern. The goal of this study was to test the ability of ABBV-1 to infect and cause disease in chickens. Two-day-old, White Leghorn chickens (n, 176) were inoculated with ABBV-1 through the oral, intramuscular, or intracranial routes, and sampled at 1, 4, 8, and 12-weeks post infection (wpi) to assess virus replication and lesion development. Chickens became infected only through the intracranial and intramuscular routes, developing earliest infection in the brain by 1 wpi (intracranial group), and spinal cord by 8 wpi (intramuscular group). Except for the kidney of one bird in the intracranial group, no other tissues (including choanal and cloacal swabs) tested positive for the virus. Therefore, while the virus reached the central nervous tissue (CNS) from the muscle (centripetal spread), it inefficiently reached peripheral sites after replication in the CNS (centrifugal spread). Inflammation in the CNS was observed in the intracranial and intramuscular groups starting at 8 and 12 wpi, respectively, and consisted of mononuclear perivascular cuffing. This is the first study to document the pathogenesis of ABBV-1 in chickens, and indicates that this species is permissive to ABBV-1 infection, although less extensively than what is observed in waterfowl. This suggests that ABBV-1 replication is partially restricted in gallinaceous birds.
Physical Activity, Stress and Quality Of Life among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Shenzhen during the Post-COVID-19 Pandemic Period
Authors: Zhang Xiaoying , Zhang Xuchang , Lv Zhongwei , Yang Jianshe
Published: March 2022

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and the associated preventive measures resulted in a substantial disruption of daily life. To date, almost 2 years after the initial outbreak, there has been no specific investigation of the effects of COVID-19 on community-dwelling older adults.
Objectives: To investigate the levels of physical activity, stress and quality of life of community-dwelling older adults 2 years after the outbreak of COVID-19, and to quantify the relative contributions of physical activity and stress to their quality of life in the post-COVID-19-pandemic period.
Methods: Two hundred and thirty-four community-dwelling older adults completed an online survey comprising a sociodemographic data sheet and questionnaires including the Chinese versions of the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE-C), the Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS-10) and the European Quality of Life Questionnaire Five-Level Scale (EQ-5D-5L). Descriptive statistics, group comparisons and correlation coefficients were used to evaluate the levels of physical activity and stress and quality of life. Multiple linear regression was used to determine the relative power of the independent variables to predict the EQ-5D-5L index value.
Results: When compared with a previous local study before the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, the level of physical activity decreased by approximately 12% in community-dwelling older adults during the post-COVID-19-pandemic period. Our final regression model predicted 51.0% of the variance in the Chinese version of the EQ-5D-5L index.
Conclusion: The levels of physical activity and perceived stress were found to be significantly correlated with the quality of life of community-dwelling older adults during the post-COVID-19 period. Future studies should focus on developing and testing strategies to promote physical activity and stress management in this cohort during future pandemics.
Amplicon sequence variant-based meiofaunal community composition revealed by DADA2 tool is compatible with species composition
Authors: Harbuzov Zoya , Farberova Valeria , Tom Moshe , Pallavicini Alberto , Stanković David , Lotan Tamar , Lubinevsky Hadas
Published: March 2022

The present study is aimed at implementing the amplicon sequence variant (ASV) concept to describe meiofaunal species composition independent of morphological identification, while strongly indicating reasonable compatibility with the underlying species. A primer pair was constructed and demonstrated to PCR amplify an 18S barcode from a variety of meiofaunal taxa, compatible with the high throughput sequencing (HTS) Illumina 300 X 2 bps platform. Sixteen 18S multi-species HTS assemblies were created from meiofaunal samples and merged to one assembly of ~2,150,000 contigs. Five quality scores (q=35, 30, 25, 20, 15) were implemented to filter five 18S barcode assemblies, which served as inputs to the DADA2 software, ending with 5 reference ASV libraries. Each of them was clustered, applying 3% dissimilarity threshold and revealed an average number of 1.38±0.078 ASVs/cluster which demonstrate high level of ASV uniqueness. The libraries which were based on q ≤ 25 reached a near-asymptote number of ASVs which together with the low average number of ASVs/3% cluster, strongly indicate compatibility with the actual number of underlying species. Hence, the q=25 library was selected to be used as metabarcoding reference library. It contained 461 ASVs and 342 - 3% clusters with average number of 1.34±1.036 ASV/cluster and their BLASTN annotation elucidated the expected meiofaunal taxa. The 16 assemblies of sample-specific paired contigs were mapped to this reference library and sample ASV profiles, namely the list of ASVs and their proportional copy numbers were created and also normalized to the actual number of individuals in each sample.
Implication of cystic fluid cytology of renal cell carcinoma on surgical practice
Authors: Hur Kyung Jae , Hooti Qais , Park Yong Hyun , Bae Woong Jin , Cho Hyukjin , Ha U-syn , Lee Ji Youl , Choi Young Jin , Hong Sung-Hoo
Published: March 2022

Objectives
To evaluate the incidence of positive cystic fluid cytology and its risk factors in cystic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) addressing its implication on the current surgical practice.
Methods
All clinically diagnosed Bosniak III, IV cystic renal masses from March 2019 to February 2021 were studied prospectively. Database of patients’ demographics and cystic tumor characteristics were recorded. Partial or radical nephrectomies were performed by either laparoscopic or robotic approach. Cystic fluid was collected right after specimen retrieval in the surgical field and examined by pathologist. Cytology results were compared to the demographic, perioperative variables using multivariate analysis.
Results
A total of 47 patients of histologically confirmed cystic RCC were included. Partial nephrectomies were performed in 44 patients, while radical nephrectomy in 3 patients. There was no intraoperative cystic rupture or fluid spillage. Positive cystic fluid cytology findings were identified in 28 (59.5%) patients, while negative cystic fluid cytology were identified in 19 (40.5%) cases. Definite malignant cells were observed in 24 patients while the other four patients showed highly suspicious atypical cells. Histologically, 68% of patients were proven clear cell RCC and 85% showed Fuhrman grade 1 or 2 in final histologic review. Univariate and multivariate regression analysis between positive and negative cytology groups showed that the presence of the malignant cells in cystic fluid was significantly associated with patients’ age (> 60years) and Bosniak grade of cystic tumor (p < 0.05).
Conclusions
Definite malignant cells in cystic fluid cytology were observed through our study. Additionally, patients’ age (> 60years) and Bosniak grade are the significant risk factors of positive cytology in cystic RCC. Therefore, necessity of meticulous manipulation of cystic renal tumors, despite their clinical features, should not be underemphasized to avoid the least possible tumor cell seeding in case of cystic rupture when operating such high risk of positive cytology.
Dynamics of lipid mobilization and other serum metabolites during transitional period in Frieswal dairy cattle
Authors: Mahajan Sumit , Devi Indu , Chand Naimi , Kumar Suresh , Pande Megha , Sirohi Ajayvir Singh , Tyagi Shrikant
Published: March 2022

The transition period in a dairy cow is defined as a change from a gestational non-lactating to a non-gestational lactating state and usually spans between 3 weeks prior to calving and 3 weeks post-calving. The period is characterized by sudden changes in both metabolic and immune functions associated with an increased incidence of both infectious and metabolic diseases, especially in high-yielding dairy cows. The present study depicts the dynamic change in lipid, protein, mineral, and other serum metabolites during the transitional period in Frieswal dairy cows. Significant (P ≤ 0.05) changes in lipid profile (total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and very-low-density lipoprotein) protein profile (total protein, globulin, albumin globulin ratio, blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine), mineral (calcium and Phosphorus) and enzyme activity (aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase) were recorded during the transition period. Whereas, non-significant (P ≥ 0.05) changes were noted in the concentration of albumin, glucose, magnesium during the transitional period. Frieswal dairy cows were in negative energy balance as depicted by a decrease in the total cholesterol, its fractions, and unable to recoup the same even after 21 days post-calving when compared with the animals of the control group. Further, these dynamic changes in the present study will be helpful in deciding and planning ration and other managemental interventions to minimize the metabolic stress during the transitional period.
Predictive Effect of Different Blood Lipid Parameters Combined with Carotid Intima-Media Thickness on Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Hu Xiangming , Yu Bingyan , Li Wei , Zhou Langping , Lin Yan , Wang Weimian , Li Guang , Zhou Yingling , Dong Haojian
Published: March 2022

Background: Blood lipids disorder and atherosclerosis are closely related to coronary artery disease (CAD). This study aims to compare different blood lipid parameters combined with carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) in predicting CAD.Methods: This was a retrospective study including patients who underwent coronary angiography for highly suspected CAD. Blood samples were taken for lipid profile analysis and cIMT was evaluated by carotid ultrasound. Logistic analysis was used to establish different models of different lipid parameters in predicting CAD. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to examine the predictive value. The optimal lipid parameter was also used to explore the relationship with multi-vessel CAD. Results: Patients were classified into two groups based on whether CAD existed. There was no difference in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) between the two groups. Compared with non-CAD patients, the CAD group had higher lipoprotein (a) (Lp (a)), apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A, total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglyceride/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C. According to the AUCs, Lp (a) combined with cIMT (AUC: 0.713, P < 0.001) had the best performance in predicting CAD compared to other lipid parameters. High levels of Lp (a) was also associated with multi-vessel CAD (odds ratio: 1.41, 95% confidence interval: 1.02–1.95, P = 0.036).Conclusion: For patients with highly suspected CAD, Lp (a) better improved the predictive value of CAD rather than most of blood lipid indices, especially in the absence of high levels of LDL-C. Lp (a) also can be used to predict the multi-vessel CAD.
Learning Physics Through Images: An Application To Wind-Driven Spatial Patterns
Authors: Fernández-Godino M. Giselle , Lucas Donald D. , Kong Qingkai
Published: March 2022

For centuries, scientists have observed nature to understand the laws that govern the physical world. The traditional process of turning observations into physical understanding is slow. Imperfect models are constructed and tested to explain relationships in data. Powerful new algorithms are available that can enable computers to learn physics by observing images and videos. Inspired by this idea, instead of training machine learning models using physical quantities, we trained them using images, that is, pixel information. For this work, and as a proof of concept, the physics of interest are wind-driven spatial patterns. Examples of these phenomena include features in Aeolian dunes and the deposition of volcanic ash, wildfire smoke, and air pollution plumes. We assume that the spatial patterns were collected by an imaging device that records the magnitude of the logarithm of deposition as a red, green, blue (RGB) color image with channels containing values ranging from 0 to 255. In this paper, we explore deep convolutional neural network-based autoencoders to exploit relationships in wind-driven spatial patterns, which commonly occur in geosciences, and reduce their dimensionality. Reducing the data dimension size with an encoder allows us to train regression models linking geographic and meteorological scalar input quantities to the encoded space. Once this is achieved, full predictive spatial patterns are reconstructed using the decoder. We demonstrate this approach on images of spatial deposition from a pollution source, where the encoder compresses the dimensionality to 0.02% of the original size and the full predictive model performance on test data achieves an accuracy of 92%.
old anterior dislocation of the shoulder joint : a rare case report and literature review
Authors: Wan Teng , Jiang Yan , Tan Haifeng , Guo Weiming
Published: March 2022

Background: anterior dislocation of shoulder is the most common dislocation of joint. With the improvement of diagnosis rate, the clinical diagnosis of old anterior dislocation of shoulder is relatively rare. This year, with the improvement of arthroscopic technology, arthroscopic treatment is the mainstream way of shoulder dislocation. However, the current treatment plan for old anterior shoulder dislocation is not clear, and arthroscopic treatment may be difficult to reduce.Case report: this paper reports the clinical experience of arthroscopic treatment of traumatic old anterior shoulder dislocation in a 30-year-old woman. After follow-up for 6 months, regular postoperative reexamination and early rehabilitation training were conducted. There were no postoperative complications, excellent score according to Rowe and Zarin criteria, competent for daily activities, no pain, 10 °loss of anterior lift, 30 °loss of external rotation, and average loss of 1 vertebral body level of internal rotation. Conclusion: the treatment strategy and rehabilitation of anterior dislocation of shoulder need to be further studied.
Outcome myasthenia gravis patients with Covid-19
Authors: Martic Vesna , Jovin Zita , Udovicic Ivo , Tausan Djordje , Begovic Vesna , Pilcevic Dejan
Published: March 2022

Background: Previous data about myasthenia gravis (MG) patients with Covid-19 are sporadic and insufficient to make any conclusion how they affect each other. Therefore, we present our experience with a group of MG patients who were infected with Covid-19.Cases presentation: We present clinical outcome in 13 patients with generalized autoimmune MG and COVID-19. Patients were divided into two groups depending on severity of clinical condition: more severe- those who required hospitalization and group treated at home with milder condition. Almost equal number of patients were in the group of hospitalized (7 patients) and treated at home (6 patients). Only men were in more severe group, while milder group consisted of both sexes equally. Exacerbation of myasthenic weakness developed only in hospitalized patients, among three lethal outcomes. Clinical remission of MG noted in 2 of 3 patients treated with tocilizumab. Clinical course of the disease commented in both groups.Conclusion: more severe clinical conditions and egzarcerbations of MG observed in middle aged male patients predominantly, among 3 of them died.
Latency And Resource Consumption Analysis For Serverless Edge Analytics
Authors: Moreno-Vozmediano Rafael , Huedo Eduardo , Montero Rubén S. , Llorente Ignacio M.
Published: March 2022

The serverless computing model, implemented by Function as a Service (FaaS) platforms, can offer several advantages for the deployment of data analytics solutions in IoT environments, such as agile and on-demand resource provisioning, automatic scaling, high elasticity, infrastructure management abstraction, and a fine-grained cost model. Nonetheless, in case of applications with strict latency requirements, the cold start problem in FaaS platforms can represent an important drawback. The most common techniques to alleviate this problem, mainly based on instance pre-warming and instance reusing mechanisms, are usually not well adapted to different application profiles and, in general, can entail an extra expense of resources. In this work, we analyze the effect of instance pre-warming and instance reusing on both, application latency (response time) and resource consumption, for a typical data analytics use case (a machine learning application for image classification) with different input data patterns. Furthermore, we propose to extend the classical centralized cloud-based serverless FaaS platform to a two-tier distributed edge-cloud platform to bring the platform closer to the data source and reduce network latencies.
The global geography of scientific articles on alcohol for the period 2010­­–2021: A bibliometric analysis
Authors: Jaeger Laslo , Devi Tanmay , Barbazza Erica , Neufeld Maria , Franz Christian , Marten Robert , Tello Juan
Published: March 2022

Introduction. Local research is critical to support the local implementation of global policies. This study explores the status and trends on research related to alcohol consumption, its determinants, governance, harm, and control policies in terms of the countries studied, affiliations of authors, funding, and research themes using bibliometric analysis. Methods. Research papers published between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2021 were searched using Web of Science and PubMed using a predefined search strategy and keywords, regardless of article type. All items that met the inclusion criteria were included in quantitative content analysis and deductive thematic analysis. Keywords were used to cluster articles by five main research themes and six subthemes related to policy interventions. The funding sources for the 100 most-cited articles were analysed. Results. A total of 4,553 articles were included in the analysis. Half (53.1%) studied a single country and, of these, 77.0% were high-income countries (HICs). Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom were the most studied countries and together accounted for 44.9% (975/2,172) of country-specific articles. Three out of four articles (3,479/4,553, 76.4%) were authored solely by authors affiliated with HIC institutions. One in five articles (906/4,553, 19.9%) had at least one author affiliated to an institution from an upper-middle, middle, or low-income country context. Governments, followed by research institutions, were the predominant funding source. Articles varied by theme: consumption (39.8%), policy response (31.0%), governance (26.9%), alcohol-related harm (26.7%), and determinants (12.6%). Across all subthemes of policy responses, articles were predominately conducted in HIC contexts. Conclusion. Although the attributable harm of alcohol is known to affect more significantly lower and middle-income countries, scientific publications primarily report on HIC contexts by authors from HICs. Themes of research reflect known cost-effective policy actions, though skewed towards HICs and a focus on consumption. The implementation of context-specific alcohol control policies requires addressing the determinants of the uneven geographical and thematic distribution of research to close the current publication gaps. Key questions What is already known?
Comparison of Landing Kinematics and Kinetics Between Experienced and Novice Volleyball Players during Block and Spike Jumps.
Authors: Garcia Sébastien , Delattre Nicolas , Berton Eric , Divrechy Guillaume , Rao Guillaume
Published: March 2022

Background: The practice of volleyball requires many jumps. During landing, anterior cruciate ligament injuries may occur with high-risk lower limb kinematics and kinetics. Differences in landing strategies between experienced and novice volleyball players have not been fully explored. The purpose of the study was to compare lower limb kinematics and kinetics in experienced and novice volleyball players when performing volleyball specific jumps. Methods: A total of 30 healthy males, 15 experienced and 15 novice volleyball players, participated in the study. Participants performed block and spike jumps at a controlled jump height. Hip, knee and ankle joints angles at initial ground contact and ranges of motion in the sagittal plane, knee joint angles and moments in the frontal plane, vertical ground reaction force peak and loading rate were analyzed to investigate the expertise effect. Results: Experienced volleyball players landed with larger ankle dorsiflexion range of motion compared to novices. For the spike jump, experienced players landed with larger ankle plantarflexion angles at initial contact and larger ankle dorsiflexion ranges of motion, and for the block jump, they landed with larger knee flexion ranges of motion. Experienced players jumped significantly higher than novices. No difference was found in vertical ground reaction force peaks and loading rates.Conclusions: Although the experienced group jumped higher than the novice group, no difference was found in ground reaction force parameters. These findings highlight that the experience of volleyball players acquired during regular trainings and competitions may play an important role in landing kinematics and kinetics to reduce the injury risk.
COVID-19 Versus Seasonal Influenza: Myocardial Injury And Prognostic Importance
Authors: Mizera Lars , Zdanyte Monika , Gernert Johannes , Petersen-Uribe Álvaro , Müller Karin , Gawaz Meinrad Paul , Greulich Simon , Rath Dominik
Published: March 2022

Background: Acute myocardial injury is associated with poor prognosis in respiratory tract infections. We aimed to highlight the differences in prevalence of myocardial injury and its impact on prognosis in patients with COVID-19 compared to those with seasonal influenza. Methods: This was a single-center prospective cohort study with a historical control group. 300 age-/sex-matched SARS-CoV-2 and seasonal influenza positive patients were enrolled. Myocardial injury was assessed by electrocardiogram (ECG), transthoracic echocardiography and biomarkers including high-sensitivity troponin-I. All patients were followed-up for 30 days after enrollment for all-cause mortalitiy, admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) and mechanical ventilation.Results: Right ventricular distress was more common in COVID-19 whereas pathological ECG findings and impaired left ventricular function were more prevalent among influenza patients. COVID-19 patients suffered from a higher percentage of hypertension and dyslipidaemia. Contrary to COVID-19, pericardial effusion at admission was associated with poor outcome in the influenza group. Severe course of disease and respiratory failure resulted in significantly higher rates of ICU treatment and mechanical ventilation in COVID-19 patients. Although distribution of myocardial injury was similar, significantly fewer cardiac catheterizations were performed in COVID-19 patients. However, number of cardiac catheterizations was low in both groups. Finally, 30-day mortality was significantly higher in COVID-19 compared to influenza patients.Conclusions: In adults requiring hospitalization due to COVID-19 or seasonal influenza, cardiovascular risk factors and signs of myocardial distress differ significantly. Furthermore, cardiovascular comorbidities may impair prognosis in COVID-19 patients to a higher degree than in their influenza counterparts.