bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multi-country metabolic signature discovery for chicken health classification
Authors: Wolthuis Joanna C. , Magnúsdóttir Stefanía , Stigter Edwin , Tang Yuen Fung , Jans Judith , Gilbert Myrthe , Hee Bart van der , Gerrits Walter , Kies Arie , Langhout Pim , de Ridder Jeroen , Mil Saskia van
Published: July 2022

IntroductionTo decrease antibiotic resistance, their use as growth promoters in the agricultural sector has been largely abandoned. This may lead to decreased health due to infectious disease or microbiome changes leading to gut inflammation. ObjectivesWe aimed to generate a m/z signature classifiying chicken health in blood, and obtain biological insights from the resulting m/z signature.MethodsWe used direct infusion mass-spectrometry to determine a machine-learned metabolomics signature that classifies chicken health from a blood sample. We then challenged the resulting models by investigating the classification capability of the signature on novel data obtained at poultry houses in previously unseen countries using a leave-one-country-out (LOCO) cross-validation strategy. Additionally, we optimized the number of mass/charge (m/z) values required to maximise the classification capability of Random Forest models, by developing a novel ranking system based on combined univariate t-test and fold-change analyses and building models based on this ranking through forward and reverse feature selection.ResultsThe multi-country and LOCO models could classify chicken health. Both resulting 25-m/z and 3784-m/z signatures reliably classified chicken health worldwide. Mummichog enrichment analysis on the large signature revealed changes to amino acid metabolism, including branched chain amino acids and polyamines. ConclusionWe reliably classified chicken health from blood, independent of genetic-, farm-, feed- and country-specific confounding factors. The 25-m/z signature can be used to aid development of a per-metabolite panel. The extended 3784-m/z version can be used to gain a deeper understanding of the metabolic causes and consequences of low chicken health. Together, they may facilitate future treatment, prevention and intervention.
The Prevalence of Abnormal Spirometry in Children with Congenital Heart Disease
Authors: Zhou Geena Y. , Cerrone Daniel , Lewinter Katherine , Masood Imran , Detterich Jon , Singh Sasha , Shah Payal , Keens Thomas , Sabati Arash , Kato Roberta
Published: July 2022

Background
The burden of pulmonary disease in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) remains under recognized. Studies have examined children with single ventricle (1V) and two ventricle (2V) heart disease and document a decreased forced vital capacity (FVC). Our study sought to further explore the pulmonary function of children with CHD.
Methods
A retrospective review was performed of spirometry in CHD patients over a 3 year period. Spirometry data was corrected for size, age, and gender, and analyzed using z-scores.
Results
The spirometry of 260 patients were analyzed. 31% had 1V (n = 80, 13.6 years (IQR 11.5–16.8)) and 69% had 2V circulation (n = 180, 14.4 years (IQR 12.0-17.3)). 1V patients were found to have a lower median FVC z-score compared to 2V patients (p = 0.0133). The prevalence of an abnormal FVC was 41% in 1V patients and 29% in 2V patients. 2V patients with Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) and Truncus Arteriosus (TA) had similar low FVC comparable to 1V patients. The number of cardiac surgeries predicted an abnormal FVC in 2V patients except TOF patients.
Conclusion
Pulmonary morbidity in patients with CHD is common with a decreased FVC noted in 1V and 2V patients. FVC is lower in patients with 1V circulation, however, 2V patients with TOF or TA have similar lung function in comparison to the 1V group. The number of surgical interventions was predictive of FVC z-score in some but not all 2V patients and not predictive in 1V patients suggesting a multifactorial etiology to pulmonary disease in children with CHD.
Integrating Linkage Mapping and Comparative Transcriptome Analysis for Discovering Candidate Genes Associated with Salt Tolerance in Rice
Authors: Geng Leiyue , Zhang Wei , Zou Tuo , Du Qi , Ma Xiaoding , Cui Di , Han Bing , Zhang Qixing , Han Longzhi
Published: July 2022

Background
Salinity is one of the most widespread abiotic stresses affecting rice productivity worldwide. Understanding the genetic basis of salt tolerance is key for breeding salt-tolerant rice varieties. Numerous QTLs have been identified to help dissect rice salt-tolerance genetic mechanisms, yet only rare genes located in significant QTLs have been thoroughly studied or fine-mapped.
Results
Here, a combination of linkage mapping and transcriptome profiling analysis was used to identify salt tolerance-related functional candidate genes underlying stable QTLs. A recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from a cross between Jileng 1 (salt-sensitive) and Milyang 23 (salt-tolerant) was constructed. Subsequently, a high-density genetic map was constructed by using 2911 recombination bin markers developed from whole genome resequencing. A total of twelve QTLs controlling the standard evaluation score under salt stress were identified by linkage analysising and distributed on chromosomes 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 11. Notably, five QTL intervals were detected as environmentally stable QTLs in this study, and their functions were verified by comparative transcriptome analysis. By comparing the transcriptome profiles of the two parents and two bulks, we found 551 salt stress-specific differentially expressed genes. Among them, fifteen DEGs located in stable QTL intervals were considered promising candidate genes for salt tolerance. According to gene annotations, the gene OsRCI2-8(Os06g0184800) was the most promising, as it is known to be associated with salt stress, and its differential expression between the tolerant and sensitive RIL bulks highlights its important role in salt stress response pathways.
Conclusion
Our findings provide five stable salt tolerance-related QTLs and one promising candidate gene, which will facilitate breeding for improved salt tolerance in rice varieties and promote the exploration of salt stress tolerance mechanisms in rice.
Incidence of Brain Metastasis as First Event in Patients with Esophageal Carcinoma: A Report from Three Prospective Alliance Clinical Trials
Authors: Smith Ron S. , Foster Nathan R. , Jatoi Aminah , Thomé Stephan D. , Miller Robert C.
Published: July 2022

PurposeHistorically, reported incidence of brain metastasis secondary to esophageal carcinoma is low. We sought to determine the incidence of brain metastasis in a contemporary cohort of patients with carcinoma of the esophagus.MethodsData from patients with localized esophageal carcinoma prospectively enrolled on three curative intent Alliance treatment trials (N0044, N0342, N044E) were reviewed including time to diagnosis of first progression event (brain versus other site) and overall survival.ResultsEighty-five patients comprised the cohort of which 85% were male and 86% had adenocarcinoma primary tumor histology. Thirty-nine of the 85 patients had documented progression to any site, and of those, brain metastasis occurred as the first event in 15% (6 of 39). Adenocarcinoma was the primary histology in all 6 patients and tumor grade was high (3 or 4) in 5 of the 6 patients (one not documented). Median time to brain metastasis (9.6 months) versus non-brain metastasis (12.4 months) and median survival after first progression (5.4 months versus 8.1 months, respectively) were not statistically different.ConclusionIn this prospective cohort of patients with esophageal carcinoma, those with high grade adenocarcinoma appear to have a higher incidence of brain metastasis than historically reported. The pattern of brain metastases corroborates recent findings in terms of incidence, predominance of adenocarcinoma primary tumor histology, timing after diagnosis, and overall survival. Further study to confirm these findings, as well as the value of baseline, restaging and follow-up cranial imaging for brain metastasis is recommended.ClinicalTrials.gov Identifiers: NCT00022139 (NCCTG N0044); NCT00100945 (NCCTG N0342), and NCT00100945 (NCCTG N044E)
Simplified Roux-en-Y Reconstruction after Laparoscopic Radical Distal Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer
Authors: Qian Yawei , Zhou Guang , Chang Feifei , Ping Xiaochun , Wang Guoliang
Published: July 2022

Background: Although there were a variety of strategies for the alimentary tract reconstruction of patients with gastric cancer underwent laparoscopic radical distal gastrectomy, it remains controversial regarding which procedure is optimal. We developed a simple technique for Roux-en-Y reconstruction during laparoscopic surgery, and evaluated its technical feasibility and safety.Methods: Seventy-one cases of modified Roux-en-Y reconstructions after laparoscopic radical distal gastrectomy were consecutively performed in our hospital, from November 2020 to March 2022. A retrospective review of medical data was conducted. Intraoperative and postoperative outcomes, including operation time and incidence of postoperative complications, were collected and analyzed. Results: All procedures of laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection were successfully completed without any intraoperative complication. The mean number of retrieved lymph node was 38.8 ± 10.6. Mean operative time was 223.5 ± 42.4 minutes, whereas intraoperative blood loss was 102.2 ± 96.3 ml. None postoperative mortality was recorded. Six patient (8.5%) experienced postoperative complications and were managed conservatively. In addition, only two patients (2.8%) required re-hospitalization during a median short-term follow-up period of 6 months.Conclusions: The modified method is a simple and safe approach for laparoscopic radical distal gastrectomy.
Re-envisioning Community Genetics: Community Empowerment in Preventive Genomics
Authors: Wand Hannah , Martschenko Daphne O. , Smitherman Annamaria , Michelson Sheryl , Pun Ting , Osborne Jackie , Witte John S. , Scott Stuart A. , Cho Mildred K. , Ashley Euan A.
Published: July 2022

As genomic technologies rapidly develop, polygenic scores (PGS) are entering into a growing conversation on how to improve precision in public health and prevent chronic disease. However, although the integration of PGS into public health clinical services raises potential benefits, it also introduces potential harms. In particular, there is a high level of uncertainty about how to incorporate PGS into clinical settings in a manner that is equitable, just, and aligned with the long-term goals of most healthcare systems to support person-centered and value-based care. This paper argues that any conversation about whether and how to design and implement PGS clinical services requires dynamic engagement with local communities, patients, and families. These parties often face the consequences, both positive and negative, of such uncertainties and should therefore drive clinical translation. As a collaborative effort between hospital stakeholders, community partners, and researchers, this paper describes a community-empowered co-design process for addressing uncertainty and making programmatic decisions about the implementation of PGS into clinical services. We provide a framework for others interested in designing clinical programs that are responsive to, and inclusive and respectful of, local communities.
Low neutrophil-to-lymphocyte and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratios predict favorable outcomes after endovascular treatment in acute basilar artery occlusion
Authors: Yang Jie , Kong Weilin , Song Jiaxing , Huang Jiacheng , Guo Changwei , Xie Dongjing , Yue Chengsong , Hu Jinrong , Luo Weidong , Liu Shuai , Li Fengli , Zi Wenjie
Published: July 2022

Background: Recently, the BAOCHE trial and ATTENTION trial registry have demonstrated the efficacy of endovascular treatment (EVT) in patients with acute basilar artery occlusion (BAO), however, the proportion of patients with favorable post-EVT outcomes remains low. The present study aimed to investigate the individual and joint prognostic values of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in patients with acute BAO who have undergone EVT.Methods: We enrolled patients who underwent EVT from the BASILAR registry. Patients were divided into the following groups based on their modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores at 90 days: favorable-outcome (mRS score: 0–3) and poor-outcome (mRS score: 4–6) groups. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to analyze the association of NLR and PLR with favorable post-EVT outcomes.Results: In total, 585 patients with EVT were recruited. Of these, 189 and 396 patients were in the favorable-outcome and poor-outcome groups, respectively. According to the multivariable logistic regression analyses, both NLR (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.950; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.920–0.981; P = 0.002) and PLR (aOR, 0.997; 95% CI, 0.995–0.999; P = 0.002) were related to favorable post-EVT outcomes in patients with acute BAO. The optimal cutoff values for the NLR and PLR were 7.75 and 191, respectively. Furthermore, stratified analysis using the multivariable logistic regression model revealed that both NLR and PLR (NLR values ≥7.75 and PLR values ≥191) were associated with a low rate of favorable outcomes (aOR, 0.292; 95% CI, 0.173–0.494; P < 0.001). Conclusions: Low NLR and PLR were both associated with favorable post-EVT outcomes in patients with acute BAO. Furthermore, the combined value of both inflammatory markers is potentially reliable in predicting clinical post-EVT outcomes.
Physical Activity Levels and Energy Intake According to the Presence of Metabolic Syndrome Among Single-household Elderly in Korea: Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2016‒2018
Authors: Sung Eun-Sook , Park Jonghoon
Published: July 2022

Background: Exercise and dietary and nutritional intake affect the risk and prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in elderly people, effects that may differ according to sex in elderly single households (ESH). This study aimed to analyze the differences in physical activity (PA) levels and energy intake according to sex and prevalence of MetS among elderly people in Korea to investigate the relationships between these factors. Methods: Data from 893 elderly individuals (aged >65 years) were obtained from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016‒2018). We analyzed PA levels (occupational and recreational PA and place movement) and energy intake (EI; total, carbohydrate, protein, and fat), and found that there were sex differences in both according to the presence or absence of MetS in ESH.Results: Among both males and females, the MetS group had a significantly lower recreational moderate PA than the non-MetS group. However, total PA in males was significantly higher in the non-MetS than in the MetS group, but there was no significant difference in females. Furthermore, the EI of females did not differ in the presence or absence of MetS, except for fat intake, and in the nutritional intake of ESH in males, no difference was found in the presence or absence of MetS.Conclusions: Therefore, although no major problem was found in the EI of ESH in the MetS group, an increase in PA level appeared to be a more important factor in preventing MetS. Male ESH require interventions that increase PA, while female ESH require nutrition interventions that increase and balance PA. Therefore, a new program is needed that promotes continuous interest and healthy lifestyles in consideration of the characteristics of ESH.
Maternal Risk Factors Associated with Neural Tube Defect at Debre Berhan Referral Hospital, North Shewa, Ethiopia. A Hospital Based Case Control Study
Authors: Mulu Abay , Bezabh Samuel , Kindie Zerihun , Teshome Yossef , Bayu Fikre
Published: July 2022

Background: - Birth defects are congenital anomalies that are present at birth of the neonate, and can be structural, functional, or metabolic. Structural birth defects are those that affect the development of body part. Failure of the neural tube to close at different regions result in positional variations of neural tube defects (NTDs). It is caused through multifactorial disorders, arising from a complex combination of genetic determinants and environmental factors. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the maternal risk factor associated with NTDs among pregnant outcome in Debre Berhan Referral Hospital, North Shewa, Ethiopia.Methods: - Hospital based unmatched case control study was conducted among 50 cases and 100 controls for associated risk factors of NTDs. The study was carried out at Debre Berhan Referral Hospital from August 30/2017 to August 30/2019. The data was checked for completeness and consistencies, and cleaned, coded and entered using Epi data version 4.2 and was exported to Statistical Package for Social Sciences software version 20 for analysis. Variables having p<0.05 was consider as statistically significant.Results: - In this study 50 cases and 100 controls were employed. Logistic regression analysis showed that maternal age, <20 (p=0.046), maternal age 31-35 (p=0.028), no education (p=0.014), family history of NTDs (p=0.034), history of multiparous (p=0.002), history of abortion (p=0.024) and still birth (p=0.009), No ANC follow up, unplanned pregnancy (p=0.000), history of medical illness (p=0.001), hyperthermia (p=0.000), used antipyretics drugs (p=0.002), Never use of folic acid and oral contraceptive use (p=0.001), exposure to smoking (p=0.001) and pesticides (p=0.000), and use of local alcohol (p=0.000) had significant association with NTDs.Conclusions: - Family history of NTDs, coffee and alcohol consumption, maternal no education, maternal hyperthermia and disease, maternal antipyretic use, maternal age <20 and 31-35, exposure to pesticides and smoking were associated with the increasing the risk of NTDs. Comprehensive preventive strategies focused on the identified risk factors should be established and early preconceptional maternal screening for genetic factors and medical illness as well as preconceptional folic acid supplementation are the effective possible approaches to bring about the required reduction in NTDs.
Formulation development and evaluation of Therapeutic Contact lens loaded with Ganciclovir
Authors: Harsolekar Mohit , Ansari Mudassir , Supe Shibani , Singh Kavita
Published: July 2022

Purpose
Soft contact lenses have been demonstrated as a promising tool for ocular drug delivery. In the present investigation ganciclovir (GAN) loaded microparticles dispersed in hydrogel-based contact lenses were fabricated to achieve prolonged release and improved permeation of GAN across corneal epithelium.
Methods
GAN-Hydroxy Propyl Methyl Cellulose (HPMC) microparticles were prepared by solvent evaporation method and evaluated for entrapment efficiency, drug content and drug release. The Polyhydroxyethylmethacrylate (pHEMA) contact lenses were synthesized by free radical polymerization reaction using crosslinkers like ethylene glycoldimethacrylate and photoinitiator such as IRGACURE 1173®, in UVB light, λ 365 nm. The GAN-HPMC microparticles when incorporated into the premonomer mixture and polymerized together give rise to a particle dispersion system in the hydrogel contact lenses. The contact lenses were studied for surface morphology, transmittance, swelling, drug release, Na + ion permeability and hens egg test chorioallantoic membrane assay (HETCAM).
Results
Hydrogel contact lens exhibited satisfactory surface morphology, transmittance, swelling, Na + ion permeability (3.72x106 mm2/min) and a release of 48 hours suggesting a potential for prolonged ocular drug delivery. Furthermore, HETCAM exhibited no signs of ocular irritation.
Conclusion
The developed delivery platform is a promising alternative to conventional dosage forms like eye drops, suspensions and ointments due to its increase in the residence time attributed to its prolonged release profile. Hence, drug delivery by hydrogel-based contact lens decreases the systemic effects of the drugs which are meant for local action, thus, enhances the therapeutic use by improving the patient compliance.
Novel anthocyanin electrospun film by caffeic acid co-pigmentation for real-time fish freshness monitoring
Authors: He Hongmei , Song Yudong , Li Meini , Zhang Hao , Li Jiali , Huang Hui , Li Yongxin
Published: July 2022

Intelligent and efficient food freshness indicators（FFI）are important. In this work, the FFI for real-time fish freshness monitoring was fabricated by electrospinning with polyacrylonitrile as polymer, blueberry anthocyanins as indicator, and caffeic acid as a co-pigment. The color of nanofiber film changed in the presence of alkaline gas, and this was because the volatile ammonia combined with water to form NH3·H2O, then NH3·H2O were hydrolyzed to form OH- and NH4+. The color of polyacrylonitrile-anthocyanins nanofiber films was caused by OH-. Comparing to the polyacrylonitrile-anthocyanins film without caffeic acid, the polyacrylonitrile-anthocyanins-caffeic acid film had enhanced significantly ammonia responsiveness with total color difference values of 29.897. And it was also observed that the addition of caffeic acid obviously improved the storage stability. When using polyacrylonitrile-anthocyanin-caffeic acid film to detect fish freshness, the color change (pink, light purple, dark purple) can be clearly seen with the naked eye, which was closely related to the change of volatile base nitrogen. This study provided a reference for detecting food freshness using co-pigmentation and electrospinning encapsulation technology in combination.
CRISPR-Cas9 Editing of TLR4 to Improve the Outcome of Cardiac Cell Therapy
Authors: Schary Yeshai , Rotem Itai , Caller Tall , Lewis Nir , Shaihov-Teper Olga , Brzezinski Refael Y. , Lendengolts Daria , Naftali-Shani Nili , Raanani Ehud , Sternik Leonid , Leor Jonathan
Published: July 2022

Background: Inflammation and fibrosis limit the reparative properties of human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs). We hypothesized that disrupting the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) gene would switch hMSCs toward a reparative phenotype and improve the outcome of cell therapy for infarct repair. Methods and results: We developed and optimized a new electroporation protocol for CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing. This protocol achieved a 68% success rate when applied to isolated hMSCs from the heart and epicardial fat of patients with ischemic heart disease. While cell editing lowered TLR4 expression in hMSCs, it did not affect classical markers of hMSCs, proliferation, and migration rate. Protein mass spectrometry analysis revealed that edited cells secreted fewer proteins involved in inflammation. Analysis of biological processes revealed that TLR4 editing reduced processes linked to inflammation and extracellular organization. Furthermore, edited cells expressed less NF-ƙB and secreted lower amounts of extracellular vesicles, pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic cytokines than unedited hMSCs. Cell therapy with both edited and unedited hMSCs improved survival, left ventricular (LV) remodeling, and cardiac function after myocardial infarction (MI) in mice. Postmortem histologic analysis revealed clusters of edited cells that survived in the scar tissue 28 days after MI. Morphometric analysis showed that implantation of edited cells increased the area of myocardial islands in the scar tissue, reduced the occurrence of transmural scar, increased scar thickness, and decreased expansion index. Conclusions: We show, for the first time, that CRISPR-Cas9-based disruption of the TLR4-gene reduces pro-inflammatory polarization of hMSCs, and improves infarct healing and remodeling in mice. Our results provide a new approach to improve the outcomes of cell therapy for cardiovascular diseases.
Impact of Covid-19 on Gastrointestinal Cancer Surgery: A National Survey
Authors: Parray Amir M , Chaudhari Vikram A , Bhandare Manish Suresh , Madhabananda K , Muduly Dilip K , S Sudhindran , Mathews Johns , R Pradeep , R Subramanyeshwar , K Amal , C Debashish , R Jitender , Pandey Durgatosh , Prem Amar , P Prasanth , Kalayarasan Raja , TP Elamurugan , Kantharia Chetan , Pujari Sharvari , H Ramesh , P Somashekhar S , Fernandes Aaron , Saxena Rajan , Singh Rajneesh K , Lattoo Mohd R , Shah Omar J , S Jeswanth , Roy Manas , Thambudorai Robin , Shrikhande Shailesh V
Published: July 2022

Purpose: To understand the actual impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and frame the future strategies, we conducted a pan India survey to study the impact on the surgical management of gastrointestinal cancers.Methods: A national multicentre survey in the form of a questionnaire from 16 tertiary care gastrointestinal oncology centres across India was conducted from January 2019 to June 2021 that was divided into a 15-month pre-Covid era and a similar period of active Covid pandemic era.Results: There was significant disruption of services; 13 (81%) centres worked as dedicated Covid care centres and 43% reported suspension of essential care for more than 6 months. In active Covid phase there was a 14.5% decrease in registrations and proportion of decrease was highest in the centres from South zone (22%). There was decrease in resections across all organ systems; maximum reduction was noted in hepatic resections (33%) followed by esophageal and gastric resections (31 and 25% respectively). There was minimal decrease in colorectal resections (5%). A total of 584 (7.1%) patients had either active Covid-19 infection or developed infection in the post-operative period or had recovered from Covid-19 infection. Only 3(18%) centres reported higher morbidity, while rest of the centres reported similar or lower morbidity rates when compared to pre-Covid phase; however 6 (37%) centres reported slightly higher mortality in the active Covid phase.Conclusion: Covid -19 pandemic resulted in significant reduction is new cancer registrations and elective gastrointestinal cancer surgeries. Perioperative morbidity remained similar despite 7.1% perioperative Covid -19 exposure.
The Evaluation Results of Proposed Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Tests for COVID-19: Some Possible Factors Might Influence
Authors: Juniastuti Juniastuti , Furqoni Abdul Hadi , Amin Mochamad , Restifan Yanna Debby , Putri Serius , Ferandra Virginia Ayu , Lusida Maria Inge
Published: July 2022

Purpose: In addition to existing gold standard qRT-PCR methods, it needs to develop reliable rapid tests for infection control with early notification of COVID-19 cases to enable effective outbreak management. We evaluated the validity of the three Ag-RDT kits proposed by some companies in different countries by using qRT-PCR and analyzed its results. Methods: Each of the three Ag-RDT kits (namely A, B, C) was tested with 90 samples, consisting of samples with Ct ≤ 25, samples with Ct > 25, and negative SARS-CoV-2 PCR samples. Results: This study showed that for samples with Ct >25, all the three kits could not detect SARS-CoV-2 Ag (0% sensitivity) but they showed 100% specificity. Meanwhile, for samples with Ct ≤ 25, the kit C was the best (76.7% sensitivity and 100% specificity). The PPV of the three kits was 100%, but their NPV ranged 63% - 84.8%. The kit C showed the best accuracy (89.9%). Some factors might influence the results of evaluation such as variation of virus proteins and transportation-storage of the kits.Conclusion: The overall specificity of the three kits for all samples was high, however all of them have not met the minimum performance requirements of ≥ 80% sensitivity for samples with Ct ≤ 25. The validation test is very necessary to be carried out by the authority in national healthcare to ensure the feasibility of the kit for POCT of COVID-19. Some factors that might influence should be anticipated to increase their sensitivities and specificities.
Study of recent epizootic situation: evidence of insufficient genetic data and lack of regular genetic research on rabies virus in the Russian Federation
Authors: Gnezdilova Larisa , Laga Vita , Marzanova Saida , Pozyabin Sergey , Yarygina Elena , Giordano Carina
Published: July 2022

Currently, there is a number of sources that are available and can be used for review and research in molecular biology and other related disciplines. Every one of them has its own data storage format, different level of redundancy, and interconnections with related or comparable databases. At the same time, each database has different means of access to information such as various search programs, software media and updates of new data. The most extensive collections of primary DNA structures and amino acid sequences are supplemented with annotated sequences that are uploaded by researchers. Thus, the analysis of data from various sources is essential for the researcher’s work. The more up-to-date data is available and the wider it is, the more accurate the analysis and productiveness of the study are. This paper on the spread of the rabies virus shows the difference between the quality and availability of epidemiological and molecular genetic data in the Russian Federation. The amount of epidemiological data within the country is sufficient, unlike molecular genetic data which is available either through personal contacts or an international database. Analysis of the genetic information available confirms that the rabies viral strains in the Russian Federation differ from those in other countries. Epizootic information has limitations and is not enough to monitor appearing viral strains which is why it is important to stimulate molecular genetic research in the Russian Federation.
Queueing Theory based Performance Analysis of Cloud based BlockChain as a Service (BaaS)
Authors: Arsalan Sheikh Muhammad Arsalan Jamil , Fahad Fahad Bin Nasir , Qazi Sameer Hashmat Qazi , Khan Bilal Muhammad Khan
Published: July 2022

Third party cloud service providers are becoming common for offering BlockChain-as-a-Service (BaaS). In this framework, incoming requests are processed by a number of stages sequentially with each service stage having different processing times. Each stage will manifest a particular component of BlockChain primitives such as digital transactions undertaken by businesses within permissioned users. This will require sophisticated steps of digital fingerprint/certificate generation, secure transaction management based on permission levels, federated consensus and transaction validation among others using distributed cryptographic techniques. Such architectures are becoming common as third-party Cloud Services will begin to offer BlockChain-as-a-Service (BaaS) for improved security for clients. BaaS will typically incorporate the M/Hypo/1/L queueing model in which incoming requests are Poisson distributed, processing times are hypo-exponential and having finite buffers. Our main contributions in this paper are: (i) To develop a realistic Queueing based performance model of BaaS over third party cloud service provider; (ii) to develop rigorous mathematical analysis to estimate the model parameters such as calculating system idleness, system utilization, queue waiting times, and the number of occupants in the system and queue; (iii) Furthermore, our model helps to estimate real-time Service Level Agreement (SLA) criteria such as through-put, response time, and request drop as a function of system security implemented through mining stage.
Dose– and time-dependent systemic immune modulation by stereotactic radiotherapy in early-stage lung cancer
Authors: Gkika Eleni , Firat Elke , Adebahr Sonja , Graf Erika , Popp Ilinca , Radicioni Gianluca , Lo Simon S. , Nestle Ursula , Nicolay Nils H. , Niedermann Gabriele , Duda Dan G. , Grosu Anca L.
Published: July 2022

Importance:There is an unmet need to understand the immunomodulatory mechanisms of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) to effectively enhance responses to immunotherapy, while reducing tumor burden.Objective:To evaluate the impact of ablative SBRT on systemic immunity in patients with early-stage NSCLC.Design:The LAPIS trial accrued patients between 2016-2021, with a median follow-up of 31 months. This primary analysis was based on data that were current as of December 14, 2021.Setting:Single center prospective clinical trial.Participants:Fifty-six patients with early-stage inoperable NSCLC patients treated with SBRT in different dose/schedules were enrolled, of whom 50 were evaluable.Intervention(s) (for clinical trials) or Exposure(s) (for observational studies): We used immune profiling of peripheral blood at first SBRT fraction (baseline), during and at the end of SBRT as well as at first (FU1) and second (FU2) follow-up (six weeks and another 4.5 months after the last SBRT fraction, respectively).Main Outcome(s) and Measure(s): The pre-specified primary endpoint was increase (yes/no) in circulating CD8+ CTL counts at FU1 compared to pre-treatment, and secondary endpoints included changes in other T-cell subsets at all time-points.Results: Fifty patients with early-stage NSCLC (median age 70 years, male 68%, female 32%) were evaluated. The absolute counts of circulating CD8+ CTLs at FU1 increased only in 21% of the patients (not significant), but there was a statistically significant increase in the proportion of proliferating CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells immediately after SBRT (at the end of the treatment, p £ 0.01), also in the subsets expressing PD-1, containing tumor-specific T-cells (p £ 0.001). These effects were significant only in the subset of patients receiving 10Gy or less per SBRT fraction (n=25, p £ 0.05). At 2 and 4 years, OS rate was 75% and 51%, respectively, and progression-free survival (PFS) was 56% and 25%, respectively. A longer PFS was associated with an absolute increase of the CD8+ CTLs at FU1 compared to pre-treatment values (p=.04).Conclusions and Relevance: SBRT induces a significant expansion in subsets of circulating effector T-cells immediately post-treatment and support the testing of lower doses per fraction for SBRT prior to or combined with immunotherapy.Trial Registration: The study was registered accordingly in the German trials registry (DRKS 00011266).https://www.drks.de/drks_web/navigate.do?navigationId=trial.HTML&TRIAL_ID=DRKS00011266
The Relationship Between Coronary Artery Ectasia and Pai-1 4g/5g Gene Polymorphi̇sms
Authors: Ergül Muhammed , Çiçek Yüksel , Özyıldız Ali Gökhan , Saydam Faruk , Ergül Elif
Published: July 2022

Background: Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is defined as diffuse or segmental dilatation of the coronary artery exceeding 1.5 times greater than the normal adjacent vessel diameter. The etiology of CAE is still not clarified. Higher plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) concentrations have been related to aortic aneurysms, possibly resulting from occlusion of vasa vasorum, followed by diminished vessel wall supply. Whether the same process has a role in coronary artery ectasia is not known. This study aims to determine whether there is a relationship between pai-1 gene polymorphism and coronary artery ectasia. Methods: 53 patients with CAE were included in the study group, and 52 participants with similar patient characteristics and normal coronary arteries were included in the control group.The PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism was genotyped by real-time PCR, using melting curve analysis of LightCycler 480 II. Results: Genotype frequencies in groups were in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (p=1.00). There was no difference in pai-1 gene polymorphism between the two groups. Conclusion: Our findings showed that -675 4G/5G polymorphism in the PAI-1 gene might not be a risk factor for the development of CAE
Non-binary Evaluation of Next-basket Food Recommendation
Authors: Liu Yue , Achananuparp Palakorn , Lim Ee-Peng
Published: July 2022

Next-basket recommendation (NBR) is a recommendation task that predicts a basket or a set of items a user is likely to adopt next based on his/her history of basket adoption sequences. It enables a wide range of novel applications and services from predicting next basket of items for grocery shopping to recommending food items a user is likely to consume together in the next meal. Even though much progress has been made in the algorithmic NBR research over the years, little research has been done to broaden knowledge about the evaluation of NBR methods, which largely based on the offline evaluation experiments and binary relevance paradigm. Specifically, we argue that recommended baskets which are more similar to ground-truth baskets are better recommendations than those that share little resemblance to the ground truth, and therefore they should be granted some partial credits. Based on this notion of non-binary relevance assessment, we propose new evaluation metrics for NBR by adapting and extending similarity metrics from natural language processing (NLP) and text classification research. To validate the proposed metrics, we conducted two user studies on the next-meal food recommendation using numerous state-of-the-art NBR methods in both online and offline evaluation settings. Our findings show that the the offline performance assessment based on the proposed non-binary evaluation metrics is more representative of the online evaluation performance than that of the standard evaluation metrics.
Evaluation of Ortho VITROS and Roche Elecsys S and NC Immunoassays for SARS‑CoV‑2 Serosurveillance Applications
Authors: Sulaeman Hasan , Grebe Eduard , Dave Honey , McCann Lily , Germanio Clara Di , Sanghavi Aditi , Sclar Victoria , Bougie Daniel W. , Chatelain Richard , Biggerstaff Brad J. , Jones Jefferson M. , Thornburg Natalie J. , Kleinman Steve , Stone Mars , Busch Michael P.
Published: July 2022

SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence studies are instrumental in monitoring epidemic activity and require well-characterized, high-throughput assays, and appropriate testing algorithms. The U.S. Nationwide Blood Donor Seroprevalence Study performed monthly cross-sectional serological testing from July 2020 to December 2021, implementing evolving testing algorithms in response to changes in pandemic activity. With high vaccine uptake, anti-Spike (S) reactivity rates reached >80% by May 2021, and the study pivoted from reflex Roche anti-nucleocapsid (NC) testing of Ortho S-reactive specimens to parallel Ortho S/NC testing. We evaluated the performance of the Ortho NC assay as a replacement for the Roche NC assay and compared performance of parallel S/NC testing on both platforms. Qualitative and quantitative agreement of Ortho NC with Roche NC assays was evaluated on pre-selected S/NC concordant and discordant specimens. All 200 Ortho S+/Roche NC+ specimens were reactive on the Ortho NC assay; 36% of 383 Ortho S+/Roche NC- specimens collected prior to vaccine availability and 52% of 101 Ortho S-/Roche NC+ specimens were reactive on the Ortho NC assay. Performance of parallel S/NC testing using Ortho and Roche platforms was evaluated on 200 specimens collected in 2019 and 3,903 study specimens collected in 2021. All 200 pre-COVID 2019 specimens tested negative on the four assays. Agreement of S and NC reactivity on specimens was 96.4% (3,769/3,903); most discordant results had reactivity close to the cutoffs on the alternate assays. These findings, and higher efficiency and throughput, support use of parallel S/NC testing on either Roche or Ortho platforms for large serosurveillance studies.
Monthly potential evapotranspiration estimated using the Thornthwaite method with gridded climate datasets for Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil
Authors: Santos Christiane Nascimento , Santos Anderson Amorim Rocha , Abreu Marcel Carvalho , Martins Fabrina Bolzan , Lyra Guilherme Bastos , Souza José Leonaldo , Lyra Gustavo Bastos
Published: July 2022

Monthly potential evapotranspiration (PET) using the Thornthwaite (ThW) method fed with gridded climate datasets was evaluated relative to PET by ThW and to reference evapotranspiration (ETo) estimated using the FAO56 Penman-Monteith method (PM-FAO56) with observed data, for Rio de Janeiro state, and neighboring states in southeast Brazil. The PM-FAO56 method used monthly climate series (1961–2010) on sunshine hours, air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed, from 21 weather stations of the National Institute of Meteorology (INMET), in Rio de Janeiro (RJ), São Paulo (SP), Minas Gerais (MG), and Espírito Santo (ES) to estimate ETo. The estimated PET using the ThW method was based on observed air temperature from INMET stations and also using gridded air temperature datasets (1961–2010) from the Global Historical Climatology Network (GHCN) and the University of Delaware (UDel). The ETP estimates had an agreement (Willmott index) between 0.54 ≤ dw ≤ 0.96 – GHCN and 0.62 ≤ dw ≤ 0.96 - UDel; a precision between 0.44 ≤ r² ≤ 0.88 – GHCN and 0.53 ≤ r² ≤ 0.95 - UDel; and RMSE inferior to 1.39 mm d− 1 – GHCN and 1.13 mm d− 1 - UDel. The PET estimated with the UDel gridded series was better overall performance than using the GHCN product. Differences in altitude, latitude and longitude were the main geographic variables determining the precision and agreement of the PET estimates using GHCN and Udel. The gridded datasets are an alternative for locations without climatic series data or with low-quality non-continuous data series.
A Comparative Study of the Iranian and Malaysian English Learners' Communication Anxiety, Communicative Competence, Willingness to Communicate (WTC), and International Posture
Authors: Azarfam Ali Asghar Yousefi
Published: July 2022

The purpose of the present study was to investigate several commonly used measures of communication orientations, namely communication anxiety, communicative competence, willingness to communicate, and international posture of Iranian EFL and Malaysian ESL learners. To this end, samples of Iranian EFL university students were selected to be compared with Malaysian ESL university students through non-probability convenience sampling method. The results of the study indicated that the differences between Iranian and Malaysian samples do exist, but the differences were primarily restricted to “communication anxiety” and “willingness to communicate”, and the other two measures of “communicative competence” and “international posture” were found to be not significantly different between the learners of the two groups. Hence, the Iranian EFL learners felt as competent to communicate as the Malaysian ESL learners. Furthermore, the Malaysian learners were documented to experience and suffer from more communication anxiety than their Iranian counterparts. However, the Iranian EFL learners expressed more willingness to communicate than those Malay ESL learners. Regarding international posture, however, the participants of both groups showed an equal tendency and readiness to relate themselves to the international community. The findings of the current study had specific implications for instructors, administrators, and learners in both ESL and EFL contexts.
Minimum effective volume of ropivacaine 0.25% in 90% of patients (MEV90) for ultrasound-guided superior trunk block: study protocol for a single-center, sequential-randomized trial
Authors: Wang Kai , Gong Ming , Zheng Dong-yu , Zhang Jin-xiang , Zhou Yang-yang , li yonghua
Published: July 2022

Background

General anaesthesia and interscalene brachial plexus block (ISB) are the main anaesthesia methods for patients undergoing shoulder arthroscopy. However, they usually result in severe complications, such as postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD), and hemi-diaphragmatic paralysis (HDP). Compared with ISB, superior trunk block (STB) is associated with a lower incidence of HDP and greater hand strength. Previous studies of STB have proven that it could provide surgical anaesthesia and noninferior postoperative analgesia, but the incidence of partial HDP was still very high, which may be fatal for some specific populations, such as patients with preexisting pulmonary impairments. Moreover, a high dose of local anaesthetic (LA) can result in prolonged postoperative numbness and weakness in the affected upper limb. Adverse events can be avoided by reducing the dose of LA, namely by using the minimum effective volume (MEV) or concentration (MEC). In this study, we aimed to explore the MEV of ropivacaine 0.25%, providing satisfactory surgical anaesthesia during the performance of an STB.

Methods/design

Our study is a prospective cohort trial to determine the minimum effective volume of ropivacaine 0.25% in 90% of patients (MEV90) on the provision of surgical anaesthesia for shoulder arthroscopy. Trial designs apply the up-and-down Biased Coin Design (BCD) methodology, which has been adopted in recent years in dose-finding studies for regional anaesthesia. Participants will be enrolled and receive STB with different volumes of ropivacaine 0.25%. The volume of ropivacaine administered to each patient depends on the outcome of the previous one. A volume of 5 ml is chosen for the initial case on the basis of prior clinical experience. In case of failure, the next patient will receive a higher volume (defined as the previous volume with an increment of 2 ml). The successful block will be defined as not only achieving a minimal score of 9 points (out of 10 points) after 30 minutes of STB using a sensory composite scale but also completing the surgery with only STB without general anaesthesia. The volume of LA for the subsequent case is then randomized according to the BCD principle.

Discussion

This research will determine the MEV90 of ropivacaine 0.25% of STB in patients undergoing shoulder arthroscopy. The results of the study will be important for guiding clinical practice and making it possible to enhance recovery after surgery for patients in day wards undergoing shoulder arthroscopic surgery.
Magnitude of poor glycemic control and its predictors among adult diabetic patients on ambulatory chronic care follow-up at Jimma Medical Center, Southwest Ethiopia; a focus on therapeutic inertia; cross-sectional study
Authors: Dubale Mariam , Gizaw Kaleab , Dessalegn Dula
Published: July 2022

Background
Despite the development of new medications over the past decade to aid in the control of blood glucose, most diabetic patients often do not reach recommended glycemic targets of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) < 7% in daily clinical practice because of many contributing factors. Thus, this study was designed to assess the magnitude and predictors of poor glycemic control among adult diabetic patients on ambulatory chronic care follow-up at Jimma Medical Center.
Methods
A cross sectional study was conducted on 307 adult diabetic patients between January 2 and April 30, 2022. Representative samples were selected using a systematic random sampling technique. Predictors of poor glycemic control were assessed using a binary and multi variable logistic regression. Data analysis was performed using Statistical Package for Social Science version 25.
Results
A total of 307 adult diabetic patients were included in the study making a response rate of 93%. Out of 307 adult diabetic patients, majority (62.5%) were males. Mean age of the patients was 48.91 ± 15.68 years. The majority, 221 (72%), of patients had poor glycemic control. Non-adherence of patients to medications (AOR = 3.36, 95% CI 1.16–9.72, p = 0.04), no formal education (AOR = 3.84, 95% CI (1.06–13.93, p = 0.04), therapeutic inertia (AOR = 3.16, 95% CI 1.61–6.20, p = 0.001) and poor diabetic knowledge (AOR = 4.79, 95% CI 1.56–14.68, p = 0.006) were found to be independent predictors of poor glycemic control.
Conclusions
Nearly three fourth of diabetic patients in the present study had poor glycemic control and were at higher risk of developing diabetic complications or already developed it. These results highlight the need for appropriate management of patients focusing on adherence to medications, education, therapeutic inertia and diabetic knowledge to maintain good glycemic control and improve adverse outcomes of the disease in this study setting.