bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An effective Nano Drug Delivery and combination therapy for the treatment of Tuberculosis
Authors: Sheikhpour Mojgan , Delorme Vincent , Kasaeian Alibakhsh , Amiri Vahid , Masoumi Morteza , Sadeghinia Mohammad , Ebrahimzadeh Nayereh , Maleki Mobina , Pourazar Shahin
Published: March 2022

Background
Drug-resistance in tuberculosis is exacerbating the threat this disease is posing for human beings. Antibiotics that were once effective against the causative agent, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), are now no longer usable against multi- and extensively drug-resistant strains of this pathogen. To address this issue, new drug combinations and novel methods for targeted drug delivery could be of considerable value. In addition, studies have shown that the use of the antidepressant drug fluoxetine, a serotonin reuptake inhibitor, can be useful in the treatment of infectious diseases, including bacterial infections.
Method
In this study, an isoniazid and fluoxetine-conjugated multi-walled carbon nanotube nanofluid was designed to increase drug delivery efficiency alongside eliminating drug-resistance in vitro. The prepared nanofluid was tested against Mtb. Expression levels of inhA and katG mRNAs were detected by Real-time PCR. ELISA was applied to measure levels of cytokine secretion (TNF-α, and IL-6) from infected macrophages treated with the nano delivery system.
Result
The results showed that these nano-drug delivery systems are effective for fluoxetine at far lower doses than for free drug. Fluoxetine also has an additive effect on the effect of isoniazid, and their concomitant use in the delivery system can have significant effects in treating infection of all clinical strains of Mtb. In addition, it was found that the expression of isoniazid resistance genes, including inhA, katG, and the secretion of cytokines TNFα and IL6 under the influence of this drug delivery system is well regulated.
Conclusion
This nano-drug delivery method combined with host targeted molecules could be a game-changer in the development of a new generation of antibiotics that have high therapeutic efficiencies, low side effects and have the potential to overcome the problem of drug-resistance.
Urine Myoglobin is Associated with Different Severities and Depths for Burn Patients
Authors: Li Tao , Zhao Qiaomei , Wang Jitu , Liu Tianci , Zhang Man
Published: March 2022

BackgroundsIt is important to make reasonable clinical decision based on precise burn depth for burn specialists. However, the identification of burn depth based upon clinical assessment was not accurate. It still needs more biomarkers to rapidly distinguish different depths for burn specialists. The potential value of urine myoglobin (UM) is still unknown in burn patients. Patients and methodsThe urine of 30 burn patients and 10 Healthy volunteers (Discover set) were collected from January 2017 to December 2020. Urine proteomics of all samples was identified by Label-free mass spectrometry and functional analysis for differential expression proteins (DEPs) was also analyzed. The Receiver Operating Characteristic curve to evaluate the value of UM from another 67 burn patients (Validation set). ResultsA total of 8253 peptides and 1465 proteins were identified in four groups. For severe burn patients, 402 DEPs (279 up-regulated and 123 down-regulated) were identified and functional analysis demonstrated that neutrophil-mediated immunity, response to stimulus, and complement and coagulation cascades pathway were the most enrichment function. UM had significant differences in burn patients with different severities and depths (Discover and Validation set; P<0.05). UM as a novel biomarker could rapidly distinguish different depths for burn patients (Discover set, AUC=0.8203, 95%CI: 0.6448~0.9957; Validation set, AUC=0.7393, 95%CI: 0.618~0.8606).ConclusionThe urine DEPs were mainly identified in the severe group. UM might as a novel biomarker help burn specialists to rapidly determine different depths for burn patients.
Study of the Memory Effect of PCDD/F During the Combustion of Several Biomasses in A Moving Grate Boiler
Authors: BARAKET Nada , BRANDELET Benoit , TROUVÉ Gwenaëlle , ROGAUME Yann
Published: March 2022

The objective of this work was to study the influence of temperature on the PCDD/Fs behavior stored in biomass ashes issued from an automatic pilot-scale wood boiler. A mixture of these ashes with a dioxin mass ratio dry based of 5.9 µg.kg−1 was used for thermal treatment at temperatures ranging between 200 and 500°C. First tests were carried out in a macro thermogravimetric analysis instrument while couple of other tests were carried out in a quartz-lined crossed fixed-bed reactor. These treated ashes were afterwards analyzed and their dioxin mass ratio was determined. Results obtained from these both experiments are radically different: ashes treated in macro-TGA significantly contain more dioxins than the initial non-treated ashes while those from the reactor are extremely less concentrated. 91% of stored dioxins in the initial ashes were eliminated after 1h at 400°C in crossed fixed-bed reactor. Macro-TGA experiments are a representation of what happens during the shut-down and cooling phase of the boiler, some areas reaching temperatures for which the PCDD/Fs formation is optimal. Without cleaning the boiler, a memory effect on further tests is observed.
Experimental Study of the Solar Air Heater Performance with Evacuated Tubes Connected in Series and Involving Nano-Copper Oxide / Paraffin Wax as Thermal Storage Enhancer
Authors: Elbrashy Amr , Aboutaleb Fawzy , El-Fakharany Magda , Essa Fadl
Published: March 2022

The investment of solar energy in life applications has become mandatory in order to maintain a clean environment and reduce the use of fossil fuel. In this work, the performance of solar air heater is aimed to be improved with the help of evacuated tube solar collectors. To achieve this purpose, a system consisting of 5 linked collecting panels was designed, fabricated, and experimentally tested. Each panel included a glass-evacuated tube with two concentric aluminum tube installed inside. The system was reinforce by adding paraffin wax as a PCM and boosting its thermal conductivity by incorporating it with copper oxide nanoparticles CuO. The performance was investigated with and without Nano enhancer phase change material NE-PCM at five mass flow rates (0.006-0.008-0.05-0.03-0.01 kg/s). Experimental results revaluated that the highest temperature was recorded as 116°C at a mass flow rate of 0.006 kg/s. The maximum thermal efficiency with storage material was 38% at 0.05 kg/s, and the pressure drop was about 2.2kPa.
Adaptation to novel spatially-structured environments is driven by the capsule and alters virulence-associated traits
Authors: Nucci Amandine , Rocha Eduardo , Rendueles Olaya
Published: March 2022

The extracellular capsule is a major virulence factor, but its ubiquity in free-living bacteria with large environmental breadths suggests that it shapes adaptation to novel niches. Yet, how it does so, remains unexplored. We evolved in parallel Klebsiella strains and their capsule mutants. Their comparison revealed different phenotypic and genotypic evolutionary changes that alter virulence-associated traits, including biofilm formation. Non-capsulated populations accumulate mutations that reduce capsule expression and increase yield, whereas most capsulated populations become hypermucoviscous, a signature of hypervirulence. Hence, adaptation primarily occurs by fine-tuning expression of the capsular locus. The same evolutionary conditions selecting for mutations in the capsular gene wzc and leading to hypermucoviscosity also resulted in increased susceptibility to antibiotics by mutations in the ramA regulon. This implies that general adaptive processes outside the host can affect capsule evolution and its role in virulence and human infection outcomes may be a by-product of such adaptation.
Analysis of the effect of different punch shapes on thickness distribution of AA5052 sheet in stretch flanging process
Authors: Kumar Surendra , Panthi Sanjay Kumar , Ahmed Meraj , Soni Manoj , Hora Manjeet Singh
Published: March 2022

Flanging is a well-known process in sheet metal forming (SMF) process, which is highly used in automobile industry and in manufacturing of home appliances. The effectiveness of the flanging process depends on the geometry of tools, material properties etc. In the present research assessment, influence of punch shape on thickness variation in aluminium alloy sheet in stretch flanging (SF) process is presented, which is major challenge of this process. Six types of punches are used in the present work i.e. spherical, conical, cylindrical, 2 step, 3 step and 6 step. Punch of shape is an important part of tooling that affects the deformation behaviour of blank. FEM simulation work is carried out for the assessment of thickness and strain distribution in the flange portion (along the die profile radius and midsection (centre) of blank) in stretch flanging process. The results are validated with experiments that observed in a very good agreement. The reduction in thickness of blank is found minimum in hemispherical punch along the die profile radius and in the midsection of blank as compared to other punch geometry. Thus, it is concluded from this work, based on the reduction of thickness of blank, that the hemispherical punch profile is more suitable in the product design by stretch flanging process.
Five Decades of Information on Canine Environmental Pollutant Exposure: A Scientometric Analysis
Authors: Avila Albert Raul , Prieto Laura Lizeth , Luna-Acosta Andrea
Published: March 2022

In recent decades, there has been great concern associated with environmental pollution as a risk factor for the development of different diseases in humans, and the canine species has been considered one of the closest sentinel animal models to evaluate these effects. In this sense, a review was carried out to identify the advances and information gaps on this topic. For this, a Scientometric approach was used, with the application of quantitative statistical analysis to bibliography. Results revealed that there has been in increase in scientific production during the last 20 years in journals such as Science of the Total Environment, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and Environmental Health Perspectives , highlighting the participation of authors such as Sonne, Dietz and Letcher . In this way, the United States, Denmark , and Canada, as well as Universities such as Ehme, Aarhus, Hokkaido and California, are considered the most relevant countries and institutional affiliations in scientific production and collaboration in relation to this topic. In the same way, there is a growing interest in the development of various lines of research related to persistent organic compounds (PCBs, PBDEs) and heavy metals (Hg mainly), using dogs as sentinels, as well as the evaluation of new sources of contamination related to microorganisms. Finally, issues related to air pollutants, particulate matter and asthma appear as new areas of research, in which the canine sentinel model may show promise for the evaluation of its effects.
Differential Effects of Later Cord Clamping on Bilirubin Levels in Normal and Diabetic Pregnancies
Authors: Pan Shuangjia , Lu Qiujing , Lan Yehui , Peng Lingli , Yu Xiaohong , Hua Ying
Published: March 2022

Purpose: To investigate the effect of later cord clamping on bilirubin levels and phototherapy rates in normal pregnancy term neonates and diabetic pregnancy neonates.Methods: This is a prospective study that enrolled pregnant women without pregnancy complications and those with diabetes according to the criteria. The subjects were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either immediate cord clamping or later cord clamping. The final data analysis involved 132 cases of diabetic pregnancy and 129 cases of normal pregnancy. The main outcomes were neonatal the transcutaneous bilirubin values in 2-4 days postpartum and the phototherapy rate.Results: In diabetic pregnancy, neonatal bilirubin levels on the 2-4 day postpartum and phototherapy rates were significantly higher in later cord clamping group than in immediate cord clamping group, while in normal pregnancy, there was no statistical difference in bilirubin values and phototherapy rates between different clamping methods. After receiving later cord clamping, bilirubin levels on the third postnatal day and the rate of neonates needing phototherapy were higher in the diabetic pregnancy group than in the normal pregnancy group.Conclusions: Later cord clamping increases the risk of jaundice in newborns whose mothers have diabetes, but has no effect on newborns with normal pregnancy.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04369313; date of registration: April 27, 2020 (retrospectively registered)
How Does The Urban-Rural Income Gap Affect Regional Environmental Pollution? ——Re-Examination Based On The Experience Of Cities At Prefecture Level And Above In China
Authors: He Weiwei , Hou Junjun , Cheng Keke
Published: March 2022

Based on the traditional "EKC" theory, this paper re-examines the impact of urban-rural income disparity on regional pollution and its mechanism by using panel data of Chinese cities at prefecture level and above from 2005-2015, combining demand scale and human capital perspectives. The results show that the urban-rural income gap has a significant "inverted U-shaped" trend on urban pollution. Both the scale of demand and human capital are the main mechanisms influencing the environmental pollution effect of urban-rural income gap, and the marginal pollution effects of both are "first negative and then positive" along with the widening of urban-rural income gap. The pollution effects of urban-rural income disparity have significant spatial correlation both nationally and within regions. The intensity of environmental regulations is an important factor affecting the urban-rural income gap, and has a significant "positive U-shaped" effect on regional pollution through the urban-rural income gap.JEL：P25, Q52, R23
Utilization of corn silk for GMO detection through real time PCR
Authors: AREEBA SYEDA , Mughal Duaa , Butt Natasha Abbas , Ahmed Shakil , Khan Ishtiaq Ahmed
Published: March 2022

Purpose: Corn silk is a fiber rich byproduct obtained during corn processing. Present investigation deals with the purpose of GMO detection and quantification and comparison of DNA extraction in corn silk that is considered generally as a waste product. Method: A comprehensive analysis of extracted DNA quality, extraction cost, and time and PCR amplification was performed. Samples were homogenized by three different methods i.e. liquid nitrogen (CSK-LN), tissue lyzer (CSK-TL) and by grinder (CSK-RG). Afterwards, DNA extraction and quantitative analysis of extracted DNA was done using three different Kits QIAGEN DNeasy Mericon Food Kit, eurofins|GeneScan GENESpin DNA isolation Kit and PENICON EZ-10 Spin Column Genomic DNA Miniprep Kit .Furthermore, the agarose gel electrophoresis assay of corn silk was performed. Also scanning electron microscopy revealed observable differences between all 3 samples.Results: CSK-TL showed finest appearance due to the nature of treatment received. Among all kits, kit 3 (PENICON EZ-10 Spin Column Genomic DNA Miniprep Kit) displayed the most economical one for extraction, however in terms of DNA quantification kit 1 (QIAGEN DNeasy Mericon Food Kit) showed highest % yield of 122.4 ng/ul followed by tissue lyzer technique. In the result of gel electrophoresis assay, 1000bp plus band size observed with different consistency according to different kits.Conclusion: DNA extracted using waste material (corn silk) can be used for GMO analysis through Real-Time PCR technique. Among different grinding techniques compared, Tissue lyzed sample (CSK-TL) displayed highest quantified DNA extracted. Hence, provided techniques could be helpful in determining DNA in waste products.
Right-Side Spatial Neglect And White Matter Disconnection After Left Hemisphere Strokes
Authors: Toba Monica , Migliaccio Rafaella , Diehl Pascale Pradat , Bartolomeo Paolo
Published: March 2022

Spatial neglect usually concerns left-sided events after right hemisphere damage. Its anatomical correlates are debated, with evidence suggesting an important role for fronto-parietal white matter disconnections in the right hemisphere. Here we describe the less frequent occurrence of neglect for right-sided events, observed in three right-handed patients after a focal stroke in the left hemisphere. Patients were tested one month and three months after stroke. They performed a standardised paper-and-pencil neglect battery and underwent brain MRI with both structural and Diffusion Tensor (DT) sequences, in order to assess both grey matter and white matter tracts metrics. Lesions were manually reconstructed for each patient. Patients presented signs of mild right-sided neglect during visual search and line bisection, as well as pathological performance in real-life situations. Structural MRI demonstrated left parietal strokes in two patients, in the region extending from the postcentral gyrus to the temporo-parietal junction. One of these two patients also had had a previous occipital stroke. The remaining patient had a left frontal stroke, affecting the precentral, the postcentral gyri and the basal ganglia. DT MRI tractography showed disconnections in the fronto-parietal regions, concerning principally the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF). These results suggest an important role for left SLF disconnection in right-side neglect, which complements analogous evidence for right SLF disconnection in left-side neglect.
A four‐gene‐based model predicts TACE efficacy for hepatocellular carcinoma patients
Authors: Shao Xinyi , Chen Tingqiao , Chen Yangmei , Wen Jiamei , Zhang Yujie , Liu Lin , Pu Yihuan , Zhang Lingzhao , Chen Jiayi , Li Qian , Chen Jin
Published: March 2022

Background
Primary liver cancer, of which hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for over 90%, is the sixth most common cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is widely performed globally as an effective treatment for HCC patients at intermediate and advanced stages, but the efficiency varies amongst patients.
Objective
This study aimed to develop models that predict the efficacy of TACE for HCC patients.
Methods
GSE104580 from Gene Expression Omnibus was used as training and validation sets. Tumor samples were randomly allocated to training and validation sets in a ratio of 7:3. Differentially expressed genes were screened in the training sets, and efficacy-related genes were identified. Their common genes were used in LASSO L1 regression and support vector machine (SVM)-based recursive feature elimination learner to identify the best predictive four genes. After gene screening, we established the predictive model for two sets using SVMs, random forests models, and logistic regression analysis.
Result
IFIT1, LIN28B, S100A9, and SPARCL1 were significantly related to the efficacy of TACE for HCC patients. The accuracy of the training sets was 90.3%, 100%, and 91.3% using SVMs, random forests models, and logistic regression analysis, respectively. The four-gene predictive signature showed larger area under the curve values (> 80%) after receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, indicating a high predictive capacity.
Conclusion
The gene-based model constructed in this study acts as a reliable efficacy assessment tool for clinicians and will aid treatment decision-making for HCC patients.
Evaluation of Dental Students’ Satisfaction With the Quality of Virtual Education in Alborz Dental School During COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Zare Homa , Esmaily Masomeh , mohammadian manijeh
Published: March 2022

Background: With the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic and daily increases in the number of new cases, there have been significant changes in people’s lifestyle and needs, and members of society have faced various challenges. Closure of schools and universities with the purpose of preventing further spread of the disease has turned preparation and implementation of educational programs for continuity in home education during lockdown the biggest challenge for educational systems.Methods and materials: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among dental students of Alborz University of medical sciences. In this research, the questionnaire was designed as 5-option multiple-choice questions that evaluated participants’ satisfaction with virtual education, personal computers and internet access, and got their opinions on the efficiency of virtual education in dental education and university’s limitations.Results: Satisfaction with the efficiency of virtual courses, preferring traditional education to virtual teaching and inclination to a combination of traditional and virtual education was more than moderate, while it was less than moderate concerning teachers’ responsiveness and evaluation methods. Furthermore, students were highly satisfied with their access to virtual facilities, and moderately satisfied with the amount of presented content and expected duties. The overall level of student satisfaction was assessed as moderate and males were more inclined towards virtual education than females. However, their age and place of residence had no significant impact on their satisfaction levels.Conclusion: Students’ satisfaction level with the quality of virtual education in Alborz dental school is moderate. Students are inclined to combining education methods. Participants’ sex and year of entry significantly affected their satisfaction levels, whereas there was no significant relationship observed between their age or place of residence and the level of satisfaction.
Three-Dimentional Visualization of Electroacupuncture Activates Brown Adipose Tissue via Sympathetic Innervation in PCOS Rats
Authors: Gao Hongru , Tong Xiaoyu , Hu Wei , Wang Yicong , Lee Kuinyu , Xu Xiaoqing , Shi Jiemei , Pei Zhenle , Lu Wenhan , Chen Yuning , Zhang Ruonan , Wang Zheyi , Wang Ziyu , Han Chengzhi , Wang Yu , Feng Yi
Published: March 2022

Background: Low-frequency electroacupuncture (EA) has been shown to ameliorate obesity and reproductive dysfunctions in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and further explorations in PCOS-like rats showed that EA could affect white adipose tissue (WAT). However, the function and neuromodulation of brown adipose tissue (BAT) in PCOS and after EA treatment have remained unknown. The present study focused on the role of BAT in PCOS-like rats and its relationship with EA, and it characterized the three-dimensional (3D) innervation of BAT associated with activation molecules. Methods: Twenty-one-day-old female rats were implanted with dihydrotestosterone or fed high fat diet respectively to establish PCOS-like and obesity models, and then EA treatment at “Guilai” (ST 29) and “Sanyinjiao” (SP 6) was carried out for 4 weeks. In present study, morphology, 3D imaging, molecular biology and other experimental techniques were used to study the sympathetic nerve and activity of BAT. Results: First, dihydrotestosterone-induced PCOS-like rats showed both obvious weight gain and reproductive dysfunction, similar to what is seen in high-fat dietinduced obesity rats except for the absence of reproductive dysfunction. We found that the body weight gain was mainly caused by an increase in WAT, but surprisingly we also observed an abnormal decrease in BAT. Because both the lipid metabolism and reproductive disorders could be improved with bilateral EA at “Guilai” (ST 29) and “Sanyinjiao” (SP 6), especially the restoration of BAT, we further investigated the neuromodulation and inflammation in BAT and identified the sympathetic marker tyrosine hydroxylase as one of the key factors of sympathetic nerves. We used tissue clearing and 3D high-resolution imaging technology to show that crooked or dispersed sympathetic nerves, but not the twisted vasculature, were reconstructed and associated with the activation of BAT and are likely to be the functional target for EA treatment. Conclusion: Taken together, the results of our study highlight the significant role of BAT and its sympathetic innervations in PCOS and in EA therapy. Keywords: polycystic ovary syndrome, electroacupuncture, brown adipose tissue, sympathetic nerve, mitochondrial brown fat uncoupling protein 1
Computer-Assisted Detection Of Intracranial Aneurysms Using A Transformer Deep Neural Network In 3D MR Angiography
Authors: Zhou Emily , Huang Felix
Published: March 2022

Intracranial aneurysms, a brain condition caused by weakened blood vessels, result in abnormal bulging or dilation of the intracranial artery walls. Up to 5% of the global population will suffer from this disease, and early detection is critical. Due to their small size, aneurysms are often missed in initial patient image assessments. Further, the process of interpreting 3D medical images can be time-consuming, error-prone, and require trained radiologists. This study implemented a deep learning model using a Transformer Neural Network to enable the automated computer-assisted detection of aneurysms in 3D TOF-MRA images.
This novel Transformer model demonstrated overall 91.9% patient-level sensitivity and 95.1% patient specificity in detecting intracranial aneurysms. Additionally, for aneurysms exceeding 5 mm in diameter, it reached patient sensitivity of 95.8% and patient specificity of 96.4%. To our knowledge, this is the first study to implement a Transformer Deep Neural Network for the detection of aneurysms from 3D volumetric TOF-MRA images. The successful results underscore the potential of Transformer models in accelerating diagnoses of cerebrovascular diseases while streamlining radiologists’ workflow. This detection method can be applicable for identifying aneurysms in other organs and diseases such as brain tumors.
Contribution of Portable Obstetric Ultrasound Service Innovation in Averting Maternal and Neonatal Morbidities and Mortalities at Semi-Urban Health Centers of Ethiopia: A Retrospective Facility-Based Study
Authors: Abawollo Hailemariam Segni , Tsegaye Zergu Tafesse , Desta Binyam Fekadu , Beshir Ismael Ali , Mengesha Birhan Tenaw , Guteta Asfaw Adugna , Heyi Atrie Fekadu , Mamo Tsega Teferi , Gebremedhin Zenawork Kassa , Damte Heran Demissie , Zelealem Meseret , Argaw Mesele Damte
Published: March 2022

Background
The maternal and neonatal mortalities in Ethiopia are high. The Ministry of health and partners are committed to reducing these outcomes. To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, innovations in ultrasound scanning and surveillance activities have been implemented for over two years. This study aims to estimate the contribution of obstetric ultrasound services on averted maternal and neonatal morbidities and mortalities in Ethiopia.
Methods
A retrospective facility-based cross-sectional study design was conducted in 25 selected health centers, in three regional states of Ethiopia. Data were extracted from prenatal ultrasound registers. SPSS version 25 was used for analysis. To claim statistically significant relationship among sartorial variables, a chi-square test was analyzed and P < 0.05 was the cut-off point.
Results
A total of 12,975 pregnant women were scanned over the two-year period. Half (52.8%) of the scanned women were residing in rural areas. The abnormal ultrasound report rate was 12.7% and almost all (98.4%) of cases were referred for confirmation of diagnosis and then treatment. The introduction of obstetric ultrasound services at health centers has contributed to the prevention of 1,970 maternal morbidities and mortalities per 100,000 live births and 19.05 neonatal morbidities and mortalities per 1,000 live births during the two-year period. The maternal and neonatal morbidities and mortalities averted showed a statistically significant difference among women residing in rural and semi-urban areas, X2, df (10) = 24.07, P = 0. 007 and X2, df (5) = 20.87. P = 0.00, 1 respectively.
Conclusion
After availing the appropriate ultrasound machines with essential supplies and capacitating mid-level healthcare providers on operating the machine, significant number of high-risk pregnant women were identified on time and managed or referred to health facilities with safe delivery services. Therefore, scaling-up limited obstetric ultrasound services in similar setups will contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Finally, it is recommended community awareness be enhanced and pregnant women ultrasound service utilization be increased before the 24th week of gestational age.
Application of an arched, Ni-Ti shape-memory connector in repairing distal tibiofibular syndesmosis ligament injury
Authors: xu shuogui , zhao jinbo , zhang yuntong , xia yan , wang xuhui , xie yang
Published: March 2022

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical effect of internal fixation of a Ni-Ti arched shape-memory connector in the treatment of distal tibiofibular syndesmosis ligament injury.MethodsFrom January 2013 to January 2016, 108 cases of ankle fracture with distal tibiofibular syndesmosis ligament injury in our hospital were selected, and all of them were fixed with Ni-Ti Arched shape-memory connector or screw fixation. The functional evaluation and efficacy evaluation were performed according to the Olerud Molander Ankle Score (Omas) and SF-36. At the same time, follow-ups recorded the incidence of postoperative complications: osteoarthritis, superficial infection, symptomatic hard and soft tissue irritation, early removal and poor reduction of internal fixation, and later loss of reduction.ResultsIn the ASC group, the incidence of symptomatic hardware, soft tissue or superficial infection decreased to 2.77%. The early removal rate of internal fixation was also lower than that of the screw group. Compared to 2.77%, the incidence of osteoarthritis in the later follow-up was also as low as 1.38%. Loss of fracture reduction due to removal of the fixation device for the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis ligament was not observed in the ASC group. With two postoperative scoring systems (OMAS and SF-36), patients in the ASC group were also given higher scores.ConclusionThe design of the arched, Ni-Ti d shape-memory connector can be adapted to the irregular anatomical structure of the malleolus and the ability to continue to contract through a thermostat. The use of ASCs in fixation of articular ligaments can preserve a slight range of motion, and the results suggest that ASCs can effectively reduce the incidence of fixation looseness, fracture, infection and other complications.
Improving operations by introducing clinical indicators in Japanese public hospitals: An analysis based on a nationwide questionnaire survey concerning use of clinical indicators and medical information management
Authors: Moteki Yasutoshi
Published: March 2022

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage across the world, there is a greater need to improve the role and operation of public hospitals, which play an important role in the fight against the virus. A mail-in questionnaire survey of Japanese public hospitals was conducted to analyze the personal data protection challenges faced by medical institutions managed by local municipalities. Questionnaires were sent to 887 hospitals—with 20 or more beds—that are members of the Japan Municipal Hospital Association. This study summarizes and analyzes the unpublished portion of the 2016 survey conducted by Hashimoto and Moteki (2018), focusing on the characteristics of the municipal hospitals surveyed by their size and use of clinical indicators. Differences between large and small/medium hospitals regarding use of clinical indicators were found. Several small and medium-sized hospitals use a common consent form for the use of personal information, whereas larger hospitals use individual consent forms for different departments. The most used indicator was “average length of hospitalization and rate of hospital bed utilization” followed by “clinical path coverage rate” and “number of ambulances received and refused (rate).” There is a clear distinction in the clinical indicators measured in this study.
Pregnancy After Pituitary Surgery Does Not Influence the Recurrence of Cushing’s Disease
Authors: Lousada Lia Mesquita , Tapia Mariuxi Jacqueline Borja , Cescato Valter Angelo Sperling , Silva Gilberto Ochman da , Musolino Nina Rosa Castro , Fragoso Maria Candida Barisson Villares , Bronstein Marcello Delano , Machado Marcio Carlos
Published: March 2022

Purpose: Pregnancy is associated with the activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, which can cause a misdiagnosis of Cushing’s syndrome. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of pregnancy after pituitary surgery on the recurrence rate in Cushing’s disease (CD) patients. Methods: This was a retrospective study in a tertiary center. Between 1990 and 2020, 355 CD patients underwent pituitary surgery. Of those included, 113 female patients who were ≤ 45 years old (median age of 32 years, 14-45), PS remission, a follow up of ≥ 6 months (median of 122 months, 6–402) and an available obstetric history. Recurrence was defined as the diagnosis of Cushing’s syndrome via at least two altered first-line methods. The patients were divided into two subgroups according to pregnancy: no pregnancy or pregnancy prior to CD diagnosis (NP/PP) and pregnancy after CD pituitary surgery (PA).Results: Overall, recurrence occurred in 43 out of 113 patients (38%). A higher recurrence rate was seen in the PA subgroup (11/22, 50%), but there was no significant difference between the NP/PP subgroup (32/91, 35%). No difference in survival-free recurrence (SFR) was found between NP/PP and PA subgroups. The lower SFR was related to a higher PS plasma ACTH and normal pituitary at pathological analyses. Conclusions: There was no difference in the recurrence rate in patients according to pregnancy history. Other studies with higher numbers of patients are needed to confirm these data.
Enhancing acetate selectivity by coupling anodic oxidation in carbon monoxide electroreduction
Authors: Overa Sean , Crandall Bradie , Shrimant Bharat , Tian Ding , Ko Byung Hee , Shin Haeun , Bae Chulsung , Jiao Feng
Published: March 2022

Electrocatalytic conversion of carbon monoxide (CO) is being actively developed as a key component for tandem CO2 electrolysis. Significant effort has been devoted to engineering CO reduction electrocatalysts for better multi-carbon product selectivity. However, less attention has been paid to other performance parameters, such as liquid product concentration and purity, which are crucial for commercializing CO electrolysis. Here, we present an “internally coupled purification” strategy to substantially improve the acetate concentration and purity in CO electrolysis. This improvement was achieved by incorporating both an anode electrocatalyst with high ethanol partial oxidation activity as well as an anion-exchange membrane with high ethanol permeability and good alkaline stability. We have successfully demonstrated stable 120-hour continuous operation of the CO electrolyzer at a fixed current density of 200 mA cm− 2 and a full cell potential of < 2.3 V, producing an acetate product stream with a concentration of 1.9 M and a purity of 97.7%. By tuning the reaction conditions, we also showed that the concentration of the acetate production stream can be further increased to 7.6 M while maintaining a purity of > 99%. Additional mechanistic investigation revealed the roles of anode electrocatalysts and anion-exchange membranes in enhancing the acetate selectivity in CO electrolyzers. Finally, a techno-economic analysis shows that a highly concentrated liquid product stream is essential to reduce the energy consumption associated with the product separation.
Ventilator-associated Pneumonia Due to MRSA vs MSSA: What Should Guide Empiric Therapy?
Authors: Colaneri Marta , Carlo Domenico Di , Amatu Alessandro , Marvulli Lea Nadia , Corbella Marta , Petazzoni Greta , Cambieri Patrizia , Muzzi Alba , Bandi Claudio , Matteo Angela Di , Sacchi Paolo , Mojoli Francesco , Bruno Raffaele
Published: March 2022

The guidelines on ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) recommend an empiric therapy against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) according to its the prevalence rate. Considering the MRSA and MSSA VAP prevalence over the last 9 years in our tertiary care Hospital, we firstly compared patients with MRSA VAP to those with MSSA VAP in terms of length of stay (LOS) in intensive care unit (ICU) and mortality and secondly, we assessed the clinical value of the MRSA nasal-swab screening in either predicting or ruling out MRSA VAP. We extracted the data of 1461 patients with positive bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). Regarding the MRSA nasal-swab screening, 170 patients were positive for MRSA or MSSA. Overall, MRSA had a high prevalence in our ICU. Despite the COVID pandemic, there was a significant downward trend in MRSA prevalence, while MSSA remained steady over time. Having VAP due to MRSA did not have any impact on LOS and mortality. Finally, the MRSA nasal-swab testing demonstrated a very high negative predictive value for MRSA VAP. Our results suggested the potential value of a patient-centered approach to improve antibiotic stewardship.
Fe3+ modified zinc oxide nanomaterial as an efficient, multifaceted material for photocatalytic degradation of MB dye and ethanol gas sensor
Authors: Waghchaure Ravindra Haribhau , Adole Vishnu Ashok , Jagdale Bapu Sonu , Koli Prashant Bhimrao
Published: March 2022

In the present investigation, we report the preparation of 5% Fe/ZnO nanocatalyst for organic transformations, gas sensing, and organic pollutant elimination applications via the CPT method. A broad range of analytical techniques was applied to attribute the successful modification of the nanocatalyst and to evaluate the structural and morphological properties, surface area, and chemical compositions by the x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, high resolution-transmission electron microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, and energy dispersive spectroscopy techniques. The organic transformations of dihydropyrimidinones, gas sensing performance to ethanol and the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) as organic pollutant were studied thoroughly. Compared with undoped ZnO and other nanocatalyst the 5 moles % Fe doped ZnO significantly shows the enhanced catalytic performance in the synthesis process of dihydropyrimidinones at high yield 98% and catalyst dose 10 mol% with ethanol as solvent. Due to enhanced gas sensing performance comparatively at low temperature to ethanol, it is known for ideal sensor, which has high selectivity, rapid response-recovery time, and high stability. It also shows the enhanced photocatalytic performance in the degradation of methylene blue dye in the aqueous heterogeneous suspension. The efficiency of the semiconductor photocatalyst is found higher at the small amount of catalyst dose (0.8 g/L) and at the contact time of 100 min and pH 8.0 as operating parameters. Further, the organic transformation mechanism, enhanced gas sensing and, photodegradation mechanism were explained as the synergic effect of the ZnO and Fe doping. The result reveals that 5% Fe doped ZnO nanocatalyst are promising approaches to aim the goal of achieving a superior heterogeneous catalyst for elimination of organic pollutant (MB) at optimum conditions and gas sensing performance for detection of ethanol.
Host-induced silencing of CpCHI gene occasioned developmental abnormalities and mortality in Maize stem borer (Chilo partellus)
Authors: ADEYINKA Olawale Samuel , Nasir Idrees Ahmad , Tabassum Bushra
Published: March 2022

The RNAi-based insecticide for crop protection has witnessed a rapid improvement over the years. However, its potential to efficiently control maize stem borer (Chilo partellus) pest has remained unexplored. In this study, double-stranded C. partellus chitinases (dsCHI ) toxicity was investigated on C. partellus larvae fed on an artificial diet coated with bacterially-expressed dsCHI and purified dsCHI. Furthermore, we developed transgenic Maize lines expressing dsRNA targeted against C. partellus chitinases transcripts and performed a detached leaf insect feeding bioassays. Our results revealed that the chitinase transcripts expression was significantly downregulated by 55% and 51% in the larvae fed on purified dsCHI at 5- and 15-days. Post-exposure to bacterially-expressed dsCHI resulted in 57% and 82% reduction in chitinase mRNA transcripts after 5- and 15-days. The larvae exhibited various phenotypic distortion levels across the developmental stages, and 53% mortality occurred in transgenic fed larvae compared to those fed on non-transgenic leaves. In conclusion, we have identified C. partellus chitinase gene as a potential target for RNAi mediated control and demonstrated that oral delivery via bacteria and plant-mediated delivery are viable means of achieving C. partellus RNAi mediated control.
OSR2Vec: an Ontology Semantic Representation Method Based Pre-training Natural Language Model
Authors: Liu Yun , Sun Huiting , Wang Junjie , Hu Jie , Feng Wei , Cao Xinyi
Published: March 2022

Background: Ontology, as a formal description and organization for domain-specific knowledge, is served as a significant approach of information retrieval and biological discovery in biomedical research, attracting more and more attention in computational biomedical and bioinformatics. It is quantified entities using semantic similarity based on ontology terms when using ontologies for description or annotation. More recently, machine learning approaches have enabled ontologies to describe concepts in ”computable” semantics. However, ontology semantics representation is not yet well-explored by existing learning-based methods. Results: We propose OSR2Vec, an ontology semantic representation approach that includes transforming structured ontology information into natural language and applying a pre-trained natural language model to vectorize semantics. OSR2Vec converts directly linked ontology words into sentence sequences, which are then embedded to semantics representation using the ouBioBERT model and the TSDAE method. We evaluate our method on a protein semantic similarities task using the kgsim dataset. We demonstrate the advantages of OSR2Vec by constructing sentence sequence to attain more specific semantics and confirm that performance on the protein semantic similarities task is favorable when using a combination of ouBioBERT and TSDAE according to our method. Conclusions: OSR2Vec is a method to represent ontology semantics using pre-training natural language model embedding sentences. With increasing the quality of representation, OSR2Vec provides an effective method in the ontology-based semantic task.
Trend And Associated Factors Of Cesarean Section Rate In Ethiopia: Evidence From 2000-2019 Demographic And Health Survey
Authors: Abebe Rahel mezemir , Olayemi Oladapo O. , Bacha Yadeta Dessie
Published: March 2022

Background: The world health organization (WHO) considers cesarean section (CS) prevalence of less than 5% suggests an unmet need. On the other hand, a prevalence of more than 15% may pose to risk to mother-and-child; however, Ethiopia was much lower than the aforementioned level. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the trend of CS, and factors that influence itMethods: Secondary analysis of the 2000-2019 Ethiopia demographic and health survey (EDHS) was used. The trend over 1995-2019 was assessed for the rural and urban areas using the Extended Mantel-Haenszel chi-square test; whereas, factors for CS were identified based on DHS 2016 data. A multi-level logistic regression analysis technique was used to identify the factors associated with CS. The analysis was adjusted for the different individual- and community-level factors affecting cesarean section delivery. Data analysis was conducted using STATA 14.1 software.Result: CS rate increased significantly from 5.1 % in 1995 to 16 % 2019 in urban area and 0.001 in 1995 to 3 % 2019 in rural area. The overall increment of CS rate was 0.7 % in 1995 to 6% in 2019. The odds of CS rate was higher among women of age 25-34 years (AOR=2.79; 95% CI: 1.92, 4.07) and women of age 34-49 years (AOR=5.23;95% CI: 2.85,9.59), women of secondary education (AOR=2.01; 95 % CI: 1.17, 3.56) and higher education (AOR=4.12; 95% CI: 2.33-7.29), multiple pregnancies (AOR=11.12; 95% CI: 5.37, 23. ), obese women (AOR=1.73; 95% CI: 1.22, 2.45), urban residence (AOR=2.28; /95% CI: 1.35-3.88), and women of antenatal care visit (ANC) >4 (AOR=3.34; 95% CI: 1.12, 4.58). Whereas, the odds of cesarean section lower among parity of 2-4 children (AOR=0.54; 95% CI: 0 .37, 0.80). Conclusion: In Ethiopia, the CS rate is below the level recommended by WHO, especially in rural residence, thus, intervention efforts need to be prioritized for women living in a rural area, empowering women's education, encouraging co-services such as ANC usage.
Use of CPP plastics to reduce the production costs in plant tissue culture technique
Authors: Aliabad Kazem Kamali , Zamani Elahe , Vaghar Aliakbar
Published: March 2022

Plant tissue culture is one of the methods of plant propagation. Production costs in this method are relatively high. These costs include items such as the cost of culture vessels. This research aimed to investigate the replacement of new containers made of Cast Polypropylene (CPP) plastics instead of glass. For this study Petunia plant was selected as a model plant. In the first, all plants were disinfected. Then they were cultured in MS medium containing different amounts of 0, 0.5, 0.8, and 1 mg / l BAP which were made in different cultures of jam glasses, Test tubes, and CPP plastics containers. After establishment and proliferation stages, plants were transferred to a rooting medium supplemented by different concentrations of IBA and after 30 days, growth different factors were measured. The highest number and length of shoots and the highest number of leaves were obtained in 0.8 mg/l BAP culture medium in CPP plastic containers and the lowest amount was in a test tube culture media. The effect of regulator amount and container type in the rooting stage was not significant.
Phosphorus Recovery by Chemical Extraction from Different Types of Air Pollution Control Ashes of Sludge Incinerators
Authors: Karabacak Ezgi , SALIHOGLU Guray , Salihoglu Nezih
Published: March 2022

BACKGROUND: Limited amounts of phosphorous in the lithosphere draw researchers' attention to finding alternative phosphorous sources. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of sewage sludge incineration ashes of Bursa city in Turkey as a phosphorous source. The flue gases generated from the incineration plant are trapped by baghouse dust filter (BF-Ash) and multi-cyclone units (MC-Ash). The P2O5 contents of BF-Ash and MC-Ash were found as 17.36% and 11.49%, respectively. Chemical extraction methods by using oxalic acid, citric acid, sulfuric acid, and nitric acid were applied to investigate phosphorus recovery possibilities om BF-Ash and MC-Ash. Crystalline and amorphous phases, chemical compositions, particle sizes, and morphological structures of BF-Ash and MC-Ash were examined. Heavy metal leaching and morphological structures of the extraction residues were investigated. RESULTS: The phosphorus recovery potential of BF-Ash was found to be higher than that of MC-Ash, with extracted levels ranging between 0.01 and 91.42 mg/g for BF-Ash and 0.01 and 59.82 mg/g for MC-Ash. The highest phosphorus level was obtained when BF-Ash was treated with 1 mol/L of oxalic acid. Several heavy metals such as Zn, Ni, As, and Cr resulted in higher leaching levels than the regulation limits when chemical extraction was applied. CONCLUSION: Considering the high phosphate levels in the ashes and their solutions after acid leaching, that both ashes were found to be promising as phosphorus resources.