bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anticancer activity features of imidazole-based ionic liquids and lysosomotropic detergents: in silico and in vitro studies
Authors: Gryniukova Anastasiia , Borysko Petro , Myziuk Iryna , Alieksieieva Diana , Hodyna Diana , Semenyuta Ivan , Kovalishyn Vasyl , Metelytsia Larysa , Rogalsky Sergiy , Tcherniuk Sergey
Published: November 2023

Long-chain imidazole-based ionic liquids (compounds 2, 4, 9) and lysosomotropic detergents (compounds 7, 3, 8) with potent anticancer activity were synthesized. Their inhibitory activities against neuroblastoma and leukaemia cell lines were predicted by the new in silico QSAR models. The cytotoxic activities of the synthesized imidazole derivatives were investigated on the SK-N-DZ (human neuroblastoma) and K-562 (human chronic myeloid leukaemia) cell lines. Compounds 2 and 7 showed the highest in vitro cytotoxic effect on both cancer cell lines. The docking procedure of compounds 2 and 7 into the NAD + coenzyme binding site of deacetylase sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) showed the formation of protein-ligand complexes with a calculated binding energy of -8.0 and − 8.1 kcal/mol, respectively. The interaction of SIRT1 with compounds 2, 7 and 9 and the interaction of bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) with compounds 7 and 9 were also demonstrated by thermal shift assay. Compounds 2, 4, 7, and 9 inhibited SIRT1 deacetylase activity in the SIRT-Glo assay. Compounds 7 and 9 showed a moderate inhibitory activity against aurora kinase A. In addition, compounds 3, 4, 8, and 9 inhibited the janus kinase 2 activity. The results obtained showed that long-chain imidazole derivatives exhibited cytotoxic activities on K562 leukaemia and SK-N-DZ neuroblastoma cell lines. Furthermore, these compounds inhibited a panel of molecular targets involved in leukaemia and neuroblastoma tumorigenesis. All these results suggest that both long-chain imidazole-based ionic liquids and lysosomotropic detergents may be an effective alternative for the treatment of neuroblastoma and chronic myeloid leukemia and merit further investigation.
A Window of Opportunity for ICU End-of-Life Care— A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Darfelt Iben Strøm , Nielsen Anne Højager , Klepstad Pål , Neergaard Mette Asbjoern
Published: November 2023

PURPOSE
The 'window of opportunity' for ICU staff to deliver end-of-life (EOL) care lies in the timeframe from 'diagnosing the dying' to death. We aimed to describe the characteristics of trajectories for dying patients in Danish ICUs and to examine if physicians diagnose dying patients in time to perform EOL care and, if so, whether a window of opportunity for EOL care exists.
METHODS
From the Danish Intensive Care Database, we identified patients ≥18 years old admitted to a Danish ICU between January and December 2020 with an ICU stay of >96 h (four days) and who died during the ICU stay or within seven days after ICU discharge.
A chart review was performed on 250 consecutive patients admitted from January 1, 2020 in an ICU in the Central Denmark Region.
RESULTS
Most patients (223 (89%)) were diagnosed as dying. Of those patients who received mechanical ventilation, 171 (68%) died after abrupt discontinuation of mechanical ventilation and 63 (25%) died after gradual withdrawal. Patients whose mechanical ventilation was discontinued abruptly died after a median of one hour (IQR: 0-15) and five hours (IQR: 2-15) after a diagnosis of dying was recorded. In contrast, patients with a gradual withdrawal died after a median of 108 hours (IQR: 71-189) and 22 hours (IQR: 5-67) after a diagnosis of dying was recorded.
CONCLUSION
EOL care hinges on the ability to diagnose the dying. This study shows that there is a short window of opportunity for EOL care, particularly for patients being weaned from mechanical ventilation.
Early change in fatigue, insomnia, and cognitive impairment and symptom severity at 3-years post-treatment in breast cancer survivors
Authors: Lee Rachel M. , Rash Joshua A. , Seal Melanie , McCarthy Joy , Garland Sheila N.
Published: November 2023

Purpose
Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among Canadian women. Survivorship challenges include fatigue, sleep disturbance, and cognitive impairment. This study examined: 1) symptom trajectory from diagnosis to three years; 2) whether symptom change in the first four months was associated with prolonged difficulties after three years; and 3) which factors were associated with deterioration in symptoms during the first four months.
Methods
This prospective observational cohort study examined 53 women (Mage = 58.6, 96.2% White, 67.9% Stage I) with newly diagnosed breast cancer over three years. Women completed assessments before starting treatment, four months, and three years after diagnosis. Three-way repeated-measures ANOVAs evaluated symptom trajectories. A repeated-measures mediation analysis was performed to determine if change from pre-treatment to four months accounted for change from pre-treatment to three years. A series of between-subjects ANOVAs were used to determine what variables significantly differed by deterioration status.
Results
Perceived cognitive impairment and fatigue increased linearly from diagnosis to three years. Change in fatigue in the first four months fully accounted for its change over three years. Insomnia severity and sleep quality deteriorated from diagnosis to four months, but returned to pre-treatment levels at three years. Those whose fatigue and cognitive ability deteriorated during the first four months were younger.
Conclusion
Efforts to identify those who are at risk of experiencing fatigue, sleep disturbance, and cognitive impairment; monitor patients early after receiving a diagnosis; and provide targeted interventions may prevent long-term deterioration and improve well-being.
Analysis of OCTA Features of the Retina and DTI Features of the Visual Pathway in Patients with Pituitary Adenoma
Authors: Tan Zhi , Liao Zhihui , Peng Shuying , Wen Xiujuan , Mo Wei , Xiao Keqi , Lai Xiaoying , Pang Yanhua
Published: November 2023

Purpose
The objective of this research is to investigate the ocular neural pathway in individuals affected by pituitary adenoma (PA), by combining two distinct methods: diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). The relationship between retinal blood flow density and neural fiber conduction function in these patients is explored.
Methods
The case group comprised 24 individuals who had been recently identified and pathologically verified as suffering from PA. A control group was assembled, consisting of 24 subjects who were aligned with the case group in terms of age and gender. All participants underwent OCTA, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and DTI examinations. Differences in the optic disc, macular OCTA parameters, OCT parameters, and DTI parameters between the two groups were compared, and correlations between these parameters were discussed.
Results
DTI parameters: In the case group, the optic nerve, optic chiasm, optic tract, and optic radiation showed a decline in their fractional anisotropy (FA) values when juxtaposed with the control group. Concurrently, the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values for the optic nerve and optic radiation escalated in comparison to the control group. Parameters of OCTA: In the region of the macula, the density of blood flow across all layers, barring the deep capillary plexus (DCP), was found to be lesser in the subject group when contrasted with the reference group. There was a notable decline in the blood flow density in the radial peripapillary capillaries plexus (RPCP) and the superficial vascular complex (SVC) as well when set against the reference group. Correlation: A statistically significant correlation existed between the blood flow density of all layers of the macular area and the DTI parameters of the optic radiation. Importantly, strong associations were found between the superficial vascular network (SVN) in the macular area and the ADC measurement of the optic nerve, the FA measurement of the optic tract, and the ADC measurement of the optic radiation. This suggests that these values might serve as biomarkers for assessing neural fiber conduction function in the visual pathway.
Conclusion
OCTA can assess retinal blood flow density in PA patients, while DTI quantifies neural fiber conduction function. The combination of these techniques offers a novel approach for studying visual pathway injury in PA.
Co-culture of rice and crayfish increases the global warming potential-An evidence from soil culture with different water content
Authors: Liu Zhangyong , Zhang Dingyue , Hou Jun , Cao Yuxian , Hu Ren , Xiao Dakang
Published: November 2023

Rice–crayfish co-culture (RC) has been recognized as a comprehensive ecotype mode. Controversial opinions exist regarding the increase or decrease in global warming potential (GWP) by RC compared with rice monoculture (RM) because N2O and CH4 emission are affected by complex external factors including fertilizer, water management, and temperature (e.g., as in the RC system). However, whether soil from the RC field, except for external conditions, has different characteristics (i.e., organic N and carbon mineralization) that affect N2O and CH4 emission needs clarification. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil organic nitrogen (SON) mineralization and greenhouse gas emission in soils from RC (RC8 and RC15, indicating 8 and 15 years, respectively) and RM fields using the indoor biological culture method with different water-holding capacity (WHC) levels with a soil moisture content of 30%, 60%, and 90%s. Moreover, the dynamic model of SOC/SON mineralization was fitted to provide data support for fertilization and low-carbon management. RC soil had a higher rate of SOC/SON mineralization that mainly occurred in the first 7 days, and the mineralization rate increased first and then decreased with increasing WHC. The SOC mineralization rate constant (k) showed the trend of RC15 > RC8 > RM at 60% WHC, while the soil from these three fields had similar k values at 30% and 90% WHCs. Further, the half-revolution period of SOC (T1/2) was between 3.395 and 3.665, unlike the k value. The SON mineralization rate constant (k0) showed significant differences, with RC8 > RC15 > RM at 90% WHC, while no significant difference was found at 30% and 60% WHC and the k0 value varied from 0.103 to 0.120 under different WHC levels. RC8 and RC15 soils showed significantly higher soil net ammonification rate (0.5–3.04 g kg− 1 d− 1), net nitrification rate (0.04–0.09 g kg− 1 d− 1), and SON net mineralization rate (0.55–3.13 g kg− 1 d− 1) by more than 67%, 33%, and 65% compared with RM soil. At 30%, 60%, and 90% WHC, cumulative N2O emissions increased by 19–34%, 12–33%, and 17–32% in RC soil than in RM soil, respectively, and RC15 soil showed the highest emission. The cumulative CH4 emission significantly decreased by 23.1% and 11.5% at 30% WHC in RC8 and RC15 soils, respectively, than that of in RM soil. RC soil showed higher soil mineral N content and 31–59% higher GWP compared with those in RM soil, indicating that RC had higher mineral N support, while also having higher carbon emission risk. Therefore, N fertilizer can be reduced to a certain extent for long-time RC fields, and other effective low-carbon measures (e.g., enhanced-efficiency fertilizer, deep fertilization, and straw management) can be adopted to reduce GWP.
Remnant cholesterol and the risk of carotid plaque in hypertension: results from a community-based screening in Hangzhou, China
Authors: Yu Zhecong , Yang Haifeng , Shou Biqi , Cheng Zongxue , Jiang Caixia , Ye Yang , Xu Jue
Published: November 2023

Background
Elevated remnant cholesterol (RC) is considered a risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, but whether this association applies to the Chinese population with hypertension has not been found. We aimed to explore the association between RC levels and carotid plaque in patients with hypertension.
Methods
8523 hypertensive patients aged ≥ 60 years with serum lipids and carotid ultrasonography data were included in this community-based screening. Fasting RC was calculated as total cholesterol minus high-density lipoprotein cholesterol minus low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC). The associations of RC levels with carotid plaque risk were evaluated using Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline models.
Results
Carotid plaque was screened in 4821 (56.6%) subjects. After multivariable-adjusted, RC was significantly related to carotid plaque [Odd ratio (OR)] = 1.043 per 0.1 mmol/L increase, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.031–1.056]. The highest versus lowest quartile of RC was 1.928 (1.673–2.223) for carotid plaque. A nonlinear association was found between serum RC levels and the risk of carotid plaque (P for nonlinearity < 0.001). Moreover, an RC > 0.78 mmol/L differentiated patients at a higher risk of carotid plaque compared to those at lower concentrations, regardless of whether LDLC was on target at 2.59 mmol/L.
Conclusion
In Chinese patients with hypertension, elevated RC was positively associated with carotid plaque, independent of LDLC and other conventional risk factors.
Therapeutic Effect of Anwulignan on Knee Osteoarthritis and Its Mechanism through Cell Pyroptosis Pathway in Rats
Authors: Niu Shengnan , Jiang Weihai , Zhao Chenghe , Chen Hongxu , Wang Chunmei , Sun Jinghui , Zhang Chengyi , Li He
Published: November 2023

Anwulignan (AN) is a monomer compound in the lignans of Schisandra chinensis. In this study, the effect of AN on knee osteoarthritis (KOA) in male SD rats was observed and its potential mechanisms were explored. The results showed that AN could significantly increase the number of standing times of rats within the same time, reduce the degree of knee joint swelling in rats, and alleviate the damage of cartilage tissue. AN could increase the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), and decrease the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the synovial tissue of rats, and reduce the levels of inflammatory factors such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interlukin (IL)-6, IL-1β and IL-18, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and nitric oxide (NO) in the serum and synovial tissue of rats. AN could play an antioxidant role by regulating the nuclear factor erythroid E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway-related proteins, and play anti-inflammatory and anti-pyroptosis roles by regulating pyroptosis pathway-related proteins, including the nuclear factor-k-gene binding (NF-κB) signaling pathway-related proteins and NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3). AN could significantly increase the expression level of CollagenII protein in KOA rats and decrease the expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase1 (MMP1) and matrix metalloproteinase13 (MMP13) proteins. The results of immunofluorescence analysis further confirmed the protective effect of AN against KOA in rats, which may be related to the regulation of Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway to play an antioxidant role and the regulation of TLR4/NLRP3/Caspase-1 signaling pathway-mediated anti-pyroptosis effect.
Changes in Ruminoreticular Temperature and Body Activity After Akabane Vaccination in Pregnant Hanwoo (Bos taurus coreanae)
Authors: Yi Junkoo , Gim Gyong-Min , Ha Jaejung , Park Jinyeon , Yu Daejung , Kwon Woo-Sung , Kim Daehyun
Published: November 2023

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Geospatial Information systems for modeling accessibility to service points in Zimbabwe with reference to health provision centers
Authors: MAZHAWIDZA THERESA , MURWIRA K S , SHEKEDE M D
Published: November 2023

Objectives Understanding geographical accessibility to services is important for informed decision making and policy formulation pertaining to infrastructural development and sustainable disaster management. The aim of this study was to develop an interactive travel time tool that can be used to model accessibility to any destination in Zimbabwe.
Setting We modelled physical accessibility to the health facility network in Zimbabwe using time as a metric measure. The research takes into consideration the various factors that influence the speed of traversing the landscape across different landcover types and terrain-conditions. Modelling was done using SAGA GIS and High Speed Computing.
Results This research was applied specifically on health service centres as destinations, and the model output revealed how certain areas with rugged terrain or dense vegetation and impassable streams can cause a set of villages to be “cut off” from apparently close health facilities as the bird flies.
Conclusions The study successfully demonstrates the application of GIS in accessibility modelling and reflects opportunities for integrating accessibility modelling with service provision and infrastructural planning.
Effects of Thienopyridine Class Antiplatelets on Bleeding Outcomes Following Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy
Authors: Kubota Masashi , Kawakita Mutsushi , Yoshida Satomi , Kimura Hiroko , Sumiyoshi Takayuki , Yamasaki Toshinari , Okumura Kazuhiro , Yoshimura Koji , Matsui Yoshiyuki , Sugiyama Kyohei , Okuno Hiroshi , Segawa Takehiko , Shimizu Yosuke , Ito Noriyuki , Onishi Hiroyuki , Ishitoya Satoshi , Soda Takeshi , Yoshida Toru , Uemura Yuichi , Iwamura Hiroshi , Okubo Kazutoshi , Suzuki Ryosuke , Fukuzawa Shigeki , Akao Toshiya , Kurahashi Ryoma , Shimatani Kimihiro , Sekine Yuya , Negoro Hiromitsu , Akamatsu Shusuke , Kamoto Toshiyuki , Ogawa Osamu , Kawakami Koji , Kobayashi Takashi , Goto Takayuki
Published: November 2023

This study aimed to assess the effects of thienopyridine-class antiplatelet agents (including ticlopidine, clopidogrel, and prasugrel) on bleeding complications in patients who underwent robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. This cohort study used a database for robot-assisted radical prostatectomy at 23 tertiary centers nationwide between 2011 and 2022. Patients who received thienopyridines (thienopyridine group) were compared with those who received aspirin monotherapy (aspirin group). The primary outcome was the incidence of bleeding complications. High-grade complications were defined as Clavien–Dindo grade III or higher. The risks of these outcomes were evaluated using inverse probability of treatment weighted regression models. The study results demonstrated that thienopyridine therapy was associated with a higher risk of overall bleeding complications (OR:3.62, 95%CI:1.54–8.49). The increased risks of the thienopyridine group were detected for low-grade bleeding complications (OR:3.20, 95%CI:1.23–8.30) but not for high-grade bleeding complications (OR:5.23, 95%CI:0.78–34.9). The increased risk of bleeding complications was not observed when thienopyridine was discontinued (OR:2.52, 95%CI:0.83–7.70); however, it became apparent when it was continued perioperatively (OR:4.35, 95%CI:1.14–16.61). In conclusion, thienopyridine increased the incidence of bleeding complications, particularly low-grade bleeding complications, following robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. These bleeding effects emerged when thienopyridine was continued perioperatively.
General practitioners' knowledge of psychotrauma in Burkina Faso in a context of security challenges
Authors: SAWADOGO Konsam Cédric Christel , BAGUE Boubacar , Adama GALBONI , ABDOU Mahamane Mobarak SALIFOU , CISSE Zeinabou , KARFO Kapouné
Published: November 2023

Post-traumatic stress disorders are psychiatric disorders that arise after a traumatic event. They result in moral suffering and physical complications that profoundly alter personal, social and professional life. Our main objective was to study general practitioners' knowledge of psychotrauma.
This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study whose data collection took place from January 15 to September 15, 2023 in Burkina Faso. General practitioners practicing in Burkina Faso were included. The minimum number of subjects to be included was 422. A Google Form ® questionnaire was administered to participants.
Our study sample comprised 427 general practitioners, 67% of whom were men (284/427). The mean age of the doctors was 32.4 ± 3.5 years. Doctors were married in 49% of cases (208/427) and single in 41% (174/427). Average professional experience was 3.8±2.6 years. The largest number of GPs (120) came from the Centre region. A minority of GPs practiced in rural areas (7%). The majority of GPs (63%) thought they had already dealt with a case of psychotrauma. Our sample had received training in psychotrauma during their medical studies in 26.9% of cases, and 17.8% had received continuing education. Considering the grading of GPs' knowledge of psychotrauma, 182 had an average score of 10 or above, i.e. 43% of our sample. Our study did not reveal any factors associated with better knowledge of psychotrauma.
A study on a larger population including nurses could enable us to better assess the level of knowledge in pychotrauma.
Maybe a New Target for Gli̇omas: AQP1
Authors: Ozturk Saniye Elvan
Published: November 2023

Backround:
Gliomas, which are the most common tumors of the central nervous system, are also among the most aggressive tumors. Despite the studies, the prognosis of gliomas is poor. Therefore, studies that will form the basis for the diagnosis and treatment of the disease are very important for these patient groups. In this study, the course of members of the Aquaporin family in gliomas was examined, and among these, the relationship of AQP1 and AQP4 with gliomas was investigated.
Methods and Results:
In this study conducted using in silico methods, the expression levels of the AQP family in LGG and GBM-type gliomas were compared. As a result of the findings obtained here, the prognostic value and clinical importance of AQP1 and AQP4 were evaluated. For this purpose, GEPIA, UCSC Xena, Gliovis, cBioPortal, and Ivy GAP analysis tools were used.
According to the data obtained at the end of the study, AQP1 and AQP4 gene expressions were found to be more expressed in tumor tissue than in normal tissue in the LGG and GBM datasets. Thereupon, the effects of these two genes on the survival and prognosis of patients were investigated using the expression patterns in the LGG and GBM datasets. When the expression levels of these two genes were compared in the subtypes, it was found that AQP1 was low in the Oligodendrogram subtype of LGG, and both AQP1 and AQP4 levels were high in all the remaining subtypes.
Conclusions:
Within the framework of the findings, it can be said that not only AQP4 but also AQP1 from the aquaporin family is one of the genes effective in the pathogenesis of gliomas and patient survival. AQP1 may be used as a new drug target or biomarker against aggressive gliomas. Therefore, it should be evaluated for future studies.
Optimizing Bank Loan Approval with Cutting-Edge DeepLearning model
Authors: Mahgoub Abdalla
Published: November 2023

For any bank or financial institution, managing loans and controlling leverage is one of the mostimportant tasks they have to undertake. A bank cannot function efficiently without a welldesignedloan-to-deposit business model.
As technology continues to evolve, the mechanism ofhandling and granting loans underwent a significant change with the introduction of use cases concerning machine learning and data science.Hence, this data-driven research utilized advanced machine learning techniques to analyze andmanipulate the data, aiming to predict the best possible way to recommend a loan to a client.
These predictions are based on modified yet unique features created from the data obtained fromthe client. The dataset was tested using two different methodologies: a logistic regression modeland a Neural Network algorithm. Both of these methodologies produced high-level accuracyrates. However, the latter outperformed the currently used methodologies by over 20%, resultingin an accuracy of 90%.
The successful research results were obtained due to the use of a perfectly balanced, unbiased,and cleaned dataset, as well as the well-executed combination of activation functions for theNeural Network model. A performance assessment was conducted based on a confusion matrixevaluation to demonstrate its feasibility and performance.
A metachronous bilateral upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma achieved partial remission by multiple treatment modalities: A case report and literature review
Authors: Tian Hongzhe , Liu Wei , Yang Jiarong , Yan Chunhui , Hu Qintao , Huang Haohao , Pan Tiejun
Published: November 2023

Background: Upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) is less common but more aggressive than bladder urothelial carcinoma in China. Bilateral UTUC is even rarer. Managing bilateral UTUC is a great challenge, especially when patients request kidney sparing and refuse hemodialysis. Besides robot-assisted laparoscopic radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) and chemotherapy, immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy is a promising strategy. We present a case of metachronous bilateral UTUC that benefited from multiple treatment modalities.
Case Description: We report a special case of a 68-year-old woman with metachronous bilateral UTUC. She underwent robot-assisted laparoscopic radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) due to an occupied lesion in the middle segment of the right ureter. Pathological findings indicated muscle-invasive high-grade urothelial carcinoma (on the right), clinical stage T3N1M0, high-risk. Adjuvant gemcitabine/cisplatin chemotherapy for three cycles every 21 days was administered. To prevent tumor recurrence in bladder, sapylin (OK-432) was used for intravesical instillation, made from a low-virulence strain (Su) of Streptococcus pyogenes (group A) incubated with penicillin. Twenty-nine months later, a left renal pelvis-occupied lesion was found. Pathological examination by ureteroscopy suggested that the tumor was non-invasive high-grade papillary urothelial carcinoma. The patient requested kidney sparing and declined radical surgery. The tumor was too large for complete endoscopic resection. The patient underwent neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy followed by retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS). After surgery, adjuvant immunotherapy was continued as before. The patient finally achieved partial remission.
Conclusions: We present a rare case of metachronous bilateral UTUC. The patient had radical surgery for the right UTUC and requested kidney sparing for the subsequent left UTUC. The patient received neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy followed by RIRS and adjuvant immunotherapy for the left UTUC. The patient achieved a stable state with no disease progression and partial remission of the left UTUC. Our report suggests a new approach for the treatment of bilateral UTUC.
Tissue-Engineered Bone Construct Promotes Early Osseointegration of Implants with Low Primary Stability in oversized osteotomy
Authors: Xu Lianyi , Jacobs Reinhilde , Cao Yingguang , Sun Xiaojuan , Qin Xu
Published: November 2023

Objectives
To evaluate the histological parameters and bone mechanical properties around implants with low primary stability (PS) in grafted bone substitutes within an oversized osteotomy.
Materials and Methods
An oversized osteotomy penetrating the double cortical bone layers was made on both femora of 24 New Zealand white rabbits. Bilaterally in the femur of all animals, 48 implants were installed, subdivided into four groups, corresponding to four prepared tissue-engineered bone grafts (TEBGs), which were placed between the implant surface and native bone wall: A: tricalcium phosphate β (TCP-β); B: autologous adipose derived-stem cells with TCP-β (ASCs/TCP-β); C: ASCs transfected with the enhanced-GFP gene with TCP-β (EGFP-ASCs/TCP-β); D: ASCs transfected with the BMP-2 gene with TCP-β (BMP2-ASCs/TCP-β). Trichrome fluorescent labeling was conducted. Animals were sacrificed after eight weeks. The trichromatic fluorescent labeling (%TFL), area of new bone (%NB), residual material (%RM), bone-implant contact (%BIC), and the removal torque force (RTF, N/cm) were assessed.
Results
The BMP-2 overexpression of ASCs sustained for ten days and greatly enhanced osteogenic differentiation. At eight weeks post-implantation, increased %NB and RTF were found in all groups. The most significant value of %TFL, %BIC and lowest %RM was detected in group D.
Conclusion
The low PS implants osseointegrate with considerable new bone in TEBGs peri-stuffed site. The addition of ASCs and BMP-2 further stimulated the %BIC. Bone graft offers wedging effect for the implant with low PS at placement and promotes osteogenesis on their surface in the healing period.
New adsorbent for detoxification of hemicellulose-rich hydrolysate aiming xylitol production
Authors: Dussán Kelly J. , Silva Débora D. V. , Costa Isabela A. L. , Forte Marcus B. S. , Felipe Maria G. A.
Published: November 2023

The world demand for sustainable bioprocesses is unquestionable as for researches which aims the biotechnological exploitation of lignocellulosic materials, particularly of its hemicellulosic fractions rich in xylose. Different bioproducts can be obtained from those fractions, although, some bottlenecks still exist such as the presence in the hemicellulosic hydrolysates of toxic compounds for microorganisms which requires previous step of detoxification. Hydrotalcite is used as a new detoxifying agent of the hemicellulosic hydrolysate of sugar cane straw to produce xylitol by Candida tropicalis aiming at a greater removal of phenolics and less loss of sugars. Design of experiments was used for factors effects analysis by a simultaneous way; the influences of pH and temperature were evaluated considering the detoxification process in different times for both uncalcinated and calcinated hydrotalcites adsorbents. While for the calcined hydrotalcite, the temperature was the significant factor, and for the non-calcined there was also an influence of the pH. The hydrotalcite reduced the content of phenolic compounds in the hydrolysate with low loss in sugar content and in xylitol production. Those results suggest new investigations for the proposition of this new adsorbent in search for the development of technologies for obtaining bioproducts in a biorefinery context.
Vaccination protects against acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in hospitalized patients with COVID-19
Authors: Madrid Julian , Agarwal Prerana , Müller-Peltzer Katharina , Askani Marvin , Benning Leo , Selig Mischa , Diehl Philipp , Kalbhenn Johannes , Trummer Georg , Utzolino Stefan , Wengenmeyer Tobias , Busch Hans-Jörg , Stolz Daiana , Rieg Siegbert , Panning Marcus , Schlett Christopher L. , Bamberg Fabian , Askani Esther
Published: November 2023

Background:
COVID-19 can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to a dysregulated immune response and direct lung damage. Vaccination against COVID-19 bears potential to reduce ARDS prevalence in COVID-19. This study aimed to analyze the effect of COVID-19 vaccination on the occurrence of ARDS in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
Methods:
The study population of this retrospective, single-center cohort study consisted of hospitalized COVID-19 patients with known vaccination status and chest computed tomography (CT) imaging between July 2021 and February 2022. The onset of ARDS was assessed using the Berlin definition. The impact of vaccination on ARDS in COVID-19 patients was assessed through logistic regression adjusting for demographic differences and confounding factors with statistical differences determined using confidence intervals and effect sizes.
Results:
A total of 167 patients (69% male, average age 58 years, 95% CI [55; 60], 42% fully vaccinated) was included in the data analysis. Vaccinated COVID-19 patients had a reduced relative risk (RR) of developing ARDS (RR: 0.40, 95% CI [0.21; 0.62]). Consequently, non-vaccinated hospitalized patients had a 2.5-fold higher probability of developing ARDS. This risk reduction persisted after adjusting for several confounding variables (RR: 0.64, 95% CI [0.29; 0.94]) in multivariate analysis. The number needed to treat to prevent one ARDS onset in hospitalized COVID-19 patients was three patients. The protective effect of COVID-19 vaccination increased with ARDS severity (RR: 0.61, 95% CI [0.37; 0.92]). Particularly, middle-aged patients (around 50 years old) were at risk for ARDS onset and seemed to benefit from COVID-19 vaccination (RR: 0.51, 95% CI [0.20; 0.90]).
Conclusions:
COVID-19 vaccination showed to reduce the risk of ARDS occurrence in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, with a particularly strong effect in middle-aged patients and those with more severe ARDS.
Future Responses of the Burdur Lake to Climate Change and Uncontrolled Exploitation
Authors: Mert Ahmet , Tavuç İbrahim , Özdemir Serkan , Ulusan Musa Denizhan
Published: November 2023

The changes that have occurred over time in Burdur Lake, which is located in a large area called the lakes region in Turkey, have received extensive attention due to global warming. In this study, we have revealed the changes in the surface area and volume of Burdur Lake by using satellite images. Dams and ponds built on the springs feeding the lake, combined with climate change, have caused dramatic changes in the lake area. Temperature, precipitation, and city (center) population data that can be an indicator of these changes are provided and their relations with the changes in the lake are explained by expressing them over the years. By using the pixel values of the satellite images of the past years, time series analysis was performed for both the surface area and the volume values. The Arima model was used for time series analysis. Results of the time series analysis conducted for the Burdur lake predicted that the lake volume will decrease to 0 in the 2070s. On the other hand, as a result of the time series analysis for the surface area, it was seen that the existing areas decreased dramatically in 2100. It is thought that these decreases in the lake are caused by the unconscious use of water resources feeding the lake for agricultural irrigation and climate change.
Endocannabinoid system genes regulation in the effects evoked by social isolation in rats
Authors: Girella Antonio , Bartolomeo Martina Di , Dainese Enrico , Buzzelli Valeria , Trezza Viviana , D’Addario Claudio
Published: November 2023

Social isolation is a state of lack of social connections, involving the modulation of different molecular signalling cascades and associated with high risk of mental health issues. To investigate if and how gene expression is modulated by social experience at the central level, we analyzed the effects of 5 weeks of social isolation in rats focusing on endocannabinoid system genes transcription in key brain regions involved in emotional control. We observed selective reduction in mRNA levels for fatty acid amide hydrolase (Faah) and cannabinoid receptor type 1 (Cnr1) genes in the amygdala complex and of Cnr1 in the prefrontal cortex of socially isolated rats when compared to controls, and these changes appears to be partially driven by trimethylation of Lysine 27 and acetylation of Lysine 9 at Histone 3. The alterations of Cnr1 transcriptional regulation result also directly correlated with those of oxytocin receptor gene. We here suggest that to counteract the effects of SI, it is of relevance to restore the endocannabinoid system homeostasis via the use of environmental triggers able to revert those epigenetic mechanisms accounting for the alterations observed.
Effect of Curing Light Beam’s Inhomogeneity on the Microhardness of Resin-Based Composite
Authors: Wang Lan , Kim Dohyun , Park Sung-Ho
Published: November 2023

Background
Recent studies have reported the inhomogeneity in the light emitted by dental light-curing units (LCUs). It is essential to understand how this uneven light distribution affects the physical properties of resin-based composites (RBCs) at various points across their surfaces. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of LCU beam’s inhomogeneity on the microhardness of RBCs with different shades and thicknesses.
Methods
Four body (A1B, A2B, A3B, and A4B), one dentin (A3D), and one enamel shade (A3E) of RBC (Filtek Z350 XT) were examined. The specimens were fabricated in four thicknesses (1, 2, 3, and 4 mm) and subjected to a 40-second light-curing. Vickers microhardness testing was performed at the center point, and 3 mm left and right from the center at the bottom surface of each sample. The LCU beam profile was characterized using a beam profiler, while irradiance after specimen passage was measured using a spectrometer. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey’s posh-hoc tests were used to analyze the effects of shades and thicknesses on irradiance and microhardness, respectively. One-way repeated-measures ANOVA was used to compare the microhardness across different points. Pearson’s correlation analysis examined the relationship between irradiance and microhardness.
Results
The beam profile of LCU revealed inhomogeneous light distribution. Light irradiance was decreased with both the increase in thickness and darker shade of the specimens (p < 0.05). Microhardness was found to decline with an increase in sample thickness (p < 0.05), and was consistently higher at the center point compared to the periphery, particularly in thicker (3 and 4 mm) and darker shades (A3B, A4B, and A3D). A positive correlation was found between the irradiance and microhardness across all evaluated points (p < 0.05).
Conclusions
Inhomogeneous light emission from LCU significantly influences the microhardness of RBC samples, depending on the thicknesses and shades. The findings underline the importance of considering LCU beam inhomogeneity in clinical settings to ensure optimal polymerization of RBC.
Exploring Causal Cytokines and Potential Regulatory Genes in Bronchiectasis: Findings from Mendelian randomization
Authors: Liao Wan-Zhe , Zhou Hao-Bin , Lin Zi-Kai , Zhou Zhi-Yi , Guo Xu-Guang
Published: November 2023

Background
Bronchiectasis is a chronic respiratory disease characterized by irreversible dilation of the bronchi, which leads to impaired mucociliary clearance, recurrent infections, and inflammatory responses. Despite advancements in diagnostic techniques and therapeutic strategies, the underlying etiological factors driving bronchiectasis pathogenesis remain incompletely elucidated.
Methods
Genome-wide data were utilized to conduct two-sample Mendelian randomization focusing on the causality from 41 inflammatory factors on bronchiectasis. Sensitivity tests were carried out to validate the reliability. SMR, coloc, and intermediary Mendelian randomization were utilized to determine latent upstream genes and estimate indirect effects.
Results
Four inflammatory factors’ potential causal effects on bronchiectasis were identified: MMIF (0.85 (0.74, 0.98) 0.029), IL-4 (1.32 (1.09, 1.55) 0.019), IFN-γ (1.28 (1.02, 1.60) 0.032), and FGF-Basic (1.28 (1.03, 1.59) 0.025) (FinnGen R9, IVW, reported as OR (95% CI) P). Sensitivity tests supported the direction consistency of IFN-γ and FGF-Basic’s estimates instead of MMIF and IL-4. RP11-589P10.5 was found to reduce the risk of bronchiectasis, mediated by the IFN-γ concentration (OR = 0.96, proportion = 36.52%).
Conclusions
Our study has identified strong evidence for potential positive causalities from IFN-γ and FGF-Basic. RP11-589P10.5 was found to latently decrease the risk of bronchiectasis, which is mediated by IFN-γ. At the genetic level, we anticipate that the cytokines and the gene can be taken into account in predictive models for bronchiectasis and even as indicators of the severity of the disease, providing new directions for future population research and basic experiments related to bronchiectasis.
Soil Erosion Impacts on Crop Productivity and Its Implications on Food Security in Kechabira District, Southern Ethiopia
Authors: Dofee Abera Abiyo , Goshu Firehiwot
Published: November 2023

Soil erosion has influenced the environmental quality and agricultural productivity of the land. The household survey and combined geospatial techniques were applied to carry out the research. The SRTM digital elevation dataset was used for morphometric analysis of relief and drainage systems in the study area. Landsat 4-5-TM C2L2 images between 2005–2020 were applied for analysis of land use and land cover dynamics. Furthermore, FAO/USDA Soil map of the world was used for soil classification, and soil laboratory analysis was also taken place to find out the depletion of soil micronutrients by soil erosion. Results of morphometric analysis revealed that the topographic nature of the surface, slope gradient of the area, drainage feature of rivers and land use/land cover conditions of soil surface are found to be facilitating factors of soil erosion in the district. Most of the respondents also confirmed that over cultivation, cultivation of steep slopes, deforestation, over-grazing, unreliable soil management practices and poor agricultural techniques are the main causes for the prevalence of soil erosion in the study area. About 91% of the interviewed households have observed a decline in the productivity of land in their farm field. Similarly, the crop productivity per hectare for selected dominantly produced crops decreased over 5 cropping years between 2013–2017. According to soil laboratory analysis, the soil of the study area is characterized by moderately acidic, low category of OM and organic carbon content, low proportion of available phosphorus and very low to low range of total nitrogen. Most of the surveyed households are food insecure due to loss of agricultural productivity by soil erosion. It is recommended that combating the severity of the soil degradation problem by applying various soil management practices should be critically considered.
Effect of changes in household debt and debt service ratios on future growth
Authors: Marire Juniours
Published: November 2023

For over a decade, South Africa has struggled with a zero-average economic growth rate, and literature identifies structural demand deficiency as a major cause of the problem. Literature indicates that South Africa follows a profit-led growth regime characterised by a falling wage share and capital intensification of production. Given these problems, can household debt play a role in stimulating economic growth? The paper examines the effect of the growth rate of household debt and the debt service ratios on economic growth. Using quantile regressions and quarterly data for 1975Q1 to 2023Q2, the paper examines the effect of the growth rate of the two ratios within three future growth horizons: four-quarters, 12-quarters, and 20-quarters. The future growth horizons capture the short-term, medium-term and long-term. The paper finds that changes in the growth rate of the household debt ratio positively affect economic growth in the three horizons, with a negative effect in the 20-quarters horizon only in the 9th quantile. Changes in the growth rate of the debt service ratio have entirely negative effects on economic growth. For both variables, the effects on future growth are largest in the lower half of the conditional future growth distributions.
JEL Codes: E21, E32, E44, E47, G51
Development of theranostics albumin auristatin conjugates for combining chemotherapy with boron neutron capture therapy
Authors: Wang Meiling , Moskalev Ivan A. , Zakharova Olga D. , Kasatova Anna I. , Silnikov Vladimir N. , Popova Tatyana V. , Godovikova Tatyana S.
Published: November 2023

Combining boron neutron capture therapy with chemotherapy can provide good therapy efficacy and is of great relevance today. In this study, we focused on serum albumin, a well-known drug delivery system, and developed homocysteine-functionalized boron albumin conjugate with chemotherapeutic molecules (monomethyl auristatin E, MMAE and auristatin F, MMAF). The new N-acylated homocysteine thiolactone bearing a cobalt bis(dicarbollide) derivative was used to create the fluorophore-albumin based construct. We report on the synthesis of a fluorophore-labeled boron-homocystamide conjugates of human serum albumin and their use in thiol-‘click’ chemistry to prepare a novel multifunctional constructs with the antitubulin agents MMAE or MMAF. We demonstrate that boron-equipped albumin conjugate with MMAE was more potent than MMAF conjugate, in the killing tumor cells. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of the designed theranostics was not less than 0.034 µM relative to T98G glioma cells with the correlation coefficient not less than R = 0.88, and not less than 0.97 µM relative U 87 glioma cells with the correlation coefficient not less than R = 0.71.
Serum catestatin levels in patients with acne vulgaris: single-center prospective study
Authors: Yücesoy Sera Nur , Ak Tümay , Öner Sena , Serdaroğlu Server
Published: November 2023

Recent studies showed that antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are essential in the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris. This study aims to investigate serum catestatin levels, one of the AMPs, in acne vulgaris patients and focuses on the change in serum levels after systemic isotretinoin therapy. 101 acne vulgaris patients and 28 healthy controls were included in this prospective study. Serum catestatin levels between acne vulgaris and control group patients were compared. Also, serum catestatin levels were measured again at the 24th week of isotretinoin therapy and compared with treatment onset. The serum catestatin levels in patients with acne vulgaris were found to be statistically higher than in the control group (p<0,001). In addition, serum catestatin levels were associated with the severity of acne vulgaris and significantly decreased after 24 weeks of systemic isotretinoin treatment. In conclusion, it can be proposed that increased inflammation and P. acnes colonization are the underlying reasons for high serum catestatin levels, and catestatin can be a potential therapeutic target in acne vulgaris. Future studies evaluating the levels of different AMPs in both skin samples and patients' sera are needed to establish their roles in the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris and position them in the dermatology routine.
Independent and combined effects of smoking, drinking and depression on periodontal disease
Authors: Huang Yanqiu , Xu Jiani , Xu Yadan , Wang HuiLin , Shi Wentao , Wang Jie , Wang Hui
Published: November 2023

Background
Periodontitis is a complex chronic inflammatory disease that is particularly associated with health-related behaviors such as smoking, excessive drinking and depression. This research aimed to investigate the interaction between these lifestyles factors on periodontitis risk.
Methods
This study included participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2009–2014) having completed oral health-periodontal examination, Smoking-Cigarette Use Questionnaire, Alcohol Use Questionnaire, and Patient Health Questionnaire. Participants were then divided into three different subgroups: smoking-depression group, drinking-depression group, and smoking-drinking group. The logistic regression combined with interaction models were used to analyze the independent and combined effects of smoking, drinking and depression on periodontitis risk.
Results
Results showed that participants with both smoking behavior and depression had 58% higher risk of developing periodontitis than those without, particularly in elderly men. A dose-dependent J-shape relationship was first identified in the association between drinking-depression interaction and periodontitis risk. When living with depression, heavy drinkers (> 56 g/d) had an increased risk for developing periodontitis, whereas low drinkers (< 14 g/d) had a decreased risk.
Conclusion
These results supported the fact that there were interactive effects between smoking, drinking and depression on periodontitis risk and policies aimed at healthy behaviours and mental health may be beneficial for our oral health.