bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Health behaviours in 131,182 UK women planning pregnancy
Authors: McDougall Beth , Kavanagh Kimberley , Stephenson Judith , Poston Lucilla , Flynn Angela C. , White Sara L.
Published: July 2021

Background

A woman’s health at the time of conception lays the foundation for a healthy pregnancy and the lifelong health of her child. We investigated the health behaviours of UK women planning pregnancy.

Methods

We analysed survey data from the ‘Planning for Pregnancy’ online tool (Tommy’s, UK). We described all women planning pregnancy and compared the frequency of non-adherence to preconception recommendations in women who had already stopped contraception (active planners) and those who had not (non-active planners).

Results

One hundred thirty-one thousand one hundred eighty-two women from across the UK were included, of whom 64.8% were actively planning pregnancy. Of the whole cohort, twenty percent were smokers and less than one third took folic acid supplements (31.5%). Forty two percent engaged in less than the recommended 150 min of weekly physical activity and only 53.3% consumed five portions of fruit or vegetables 4 days a week. Smokers were 1.87 times more likely to be active planners than non-smokers (95% CI 1.79–1.94), and women who took folic acid were 7 times more likely to be active planners (95% CI 6.97–7.59) compared to women who did not. Smoking, drug use and lack of folic acid supplementation were common in younger women and those who were underweight.

Conclusions

This unique survey of UK women has identified poor adherence to preconception recommendations in those planning pregnancies and supports the need for a greater public health focus on preconception health. This study provides a contemporary basis from which to inform preconception health advice and a benchmark to measure changes over time.
A panel of miRNAs as prognostic markers for African-American patients with triple negative breast cancer
Authors: Turkistani Safaa , Sugita Bruna M. , Fadda Paolo , Marchi Rafael , Afsari Ali , Naab Tammey , Apprey Victor , Copeland Robert L. , Campbell Michael C. , Cavalli Luciane R. , Kanaan Yasmine
Published: July 2021

Background

To investigate the global expression profile of miRNAs, their impact on cellular signaling pathways, and their association with poor prognostic parameters in African-American (AA) patients with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Methods

Twenty-five samples of AA TNBC patients were profiled for global miRNA expression and stratified considering three clinical-pathological parameters: tumor size, lymph node (LN), and recurrence (REC) status. Differential miRNA expression analysis was performed for each parameter, and their discriminatory power was determined by Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. KMplotter was assessed to determine the association of the miRNAs with survival, and functional enrichment analysis to determine the main affected pathways and miRNA/mRNA target interactions.

Results

A panel of eight, 23 and 27 miRNAs were associated with tumor size, LN, and REC status, respectively. Combined ROC analysis of two (miR-2117, and miR-378c), seven (let-7f-5p, miR-1255b-5p, miR-1268b, miR-200c-3p, miR-520d, miR-527, and miR-518a-5p), and three (miR-1200, miR-1249-3p, and miR-1271-3p) miRNAs showed a robust discriminatory power based on tumor size (AUC = 0.917), LN (AUC = 0.945) and REC (AUC = 0.981) status, respectively. Enrichment pathway analysis revealed their involvement in proteoglycans and glycan and cancer-associated pathways. Eight miRNAs with deregulated expressions in patients with large tumor size, positive LN metastasis, and recurrence were significantly associated with lower survival rates. Finally, the construction of miRNA/mRNA networks based in experimentally validated mRNA targets, revealed nodes of critical cancer genes, such as AKT1, BCL2, CDKN1A, EZR and PTEN.

Conclusions

Altogether, our data indicate that miRNA deregulated expression is a relevant biological factor that can be associated with the poor prognosis in TNBC of AA patients, by conferring to their TNBC cells aggressive phenotypes that are reflected in the clinical characteristics evaluated in this study.
Oral health status and behaviors of pregnant migrant workers in Bangkok, Thailand: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Traisuwan Wirongrong
Published: July 2021

Background

There is evidence to show that immigrants have poorer oral health status than their local counterparts, and low-skilled migrant workers may also be more prone to poor oral health. This study aims to evaluate the oral health status and oral health behaviors of pregnant migrant workers compared to those of local pregnant women.

Methods

A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted in a public general hospital in Bangkok. Pregnant migrant workers who attended the antenatal clinic were randomly enrolled at their first antenatal booking; local pregnant women were also randomly included to form a comparison group. Oral health status of all eligible pregnant women was evaluated according to the World Health Organization (WHO) protocol, and their oral health behaviors were assessed using a structured questionnaire. Oral health status and behaviors of the two pregnant groups were compared using Chi-Square test, Student’s t test, Mann–Whitney U test, Fisher’s exact test and multiple logistic regression analysis.

Results

A total of 208 pregnant migrant workers and 210 local pregnant women were included. Pregnant migrant workers had significantly more dental disease than local pregnant women (DMFT mean (SD) = 5.8 (4.4) vs 4.8 (4.0), p = 0.014) with significant more dental decay (D mean (SD) = 5.5 (3.6) vs 3.8 (2.9), p < 0.001; adjusted OR 3.56 (95%CI 1.74–7.27)). Pregnant migrant workers suffered greater periodontal disease with mean (SD) CPI of 2.9 (0.6) vs 2.2 (0.5), p < 0.001. CPI = 3 or 4 occurred in 74.5% of migrants compared to only 22.4% of local pregnant women (adjusted OR 6.39: 95%CI 3.53–11.58). A significant greater percentage of pregnant migrants had a CPI of 4 (11.1% vs 0.5%). Pregnant migrant workers tended not to use fluoride toothpaste or dental floss and despite having 76.0% healthcare coverage, they made significantly fewer dental visits compared to local women; furthermore, the majority of them (74.5%) were under the misconception that dental treatment was prohibited during pregnancy.

Conclusion

Pregnant migrant workers experienced more dental caries and periodontal disease, had less access to oral health facilities, had less knowledge of healthy oral hygiene, and had poorer oral health practices than local pregnant women. Comprehensive oral health screening and treatment during antenatal visits, together with appropriate systematic antenatal health education, could play a crucial role in improving their oral health.
Evaluation of cholinesterase inhibitory and antioxidant activity of Wedelia chinensis and isolation of apigenin as an active compound
Authors: Islam Md. Aminul , Zaman Shahed , Biswas Kushal , Al-Amin Md. Yusuf , Hasan Md. Kamrul , Alam A. H. M. K. , Tanaka Toshihisa , Sadik Golam
Published: July 2021

Background

Wedelia chinensis has been reported as a folk medicine for the treatment of different diseases including neurodegenerative disease. Although the plant has been studied well for diverse biological activities, the effect of this plant in neurological disorder is largely unknown. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the cholinesterase inhibitory and antioxidant potential of W. chinensis.

Methods

The extract and fractions of the plant were evaluated for acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory activity by modified Ellman method. The antioxidant activity was assessed in several in vitro models/assays such as reducing power, total antioxidant capacity, total phenolic and flavonoid content, scavenging of 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical and hydroxyl radical, and inhibition of brain lipid peroxidation. Chromatographic and spectroscopic methods were used to isolate and identify the active compound from the extract.

Results

Among the fractions, aqueous fraction (AQF) and ethylacetate fraction (EAF) exhibited high inhibition against acetylcholinesterase (IC50: 40.02 ± 0.16 μg/ml and 57.76 ± 0.37 μg/ml) and butyrylcholinesterase (IC50: 31.79 ± 0.18 μg/ml and 48.41 ± 0.05 μg/ml). Similarly, the EAF and AQF had high content of phenolics and flavonoids and possess strong antioxidant activity in several antioxidant assays including DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging, reducing power and total antioxidant activity. They effectively inhibited the peroxidation of brain lipid in vitro with IC50 values of 45.20 ± 0.10 μg/ml and 25.53 ± 0.04 μg/ml, respectively. A significant correlation was observed between total flavonoids and antioxidant and cholinesterase inhibitory activity. Activity guided chromatographic separation led to the isolation of a major active compound from the EAF and its structure was elucidated as apigenin by spectral analysis.

Conclusions

The potential ability of W. chinensis to inhibit the cholinesterase activity and peroxidation of lipids suggest that the plant might be useful for the management of AD.
Leech therapy (Hirudo medicinalis) attenuates testicular damages induced by testicular ischemia/reperfusion in an animal model
Authors: Davoodi Farshid , Taheri Shayan , Raisi Abbas , Rajabzadeh Asghar , Zakian Amir , Hablolvarid Mohammad Hassan , Ahmadvand Hassan
Published: July 2021

Background

Testicular torsion/detorsion triggers tissue ischemia/reperfusion, leading to reactive oxygen species overgeneration and apoptosis. The saliva of leeches is full of anti-inflammatory, anticoagulants, antioxidants, and antimicrobial agents. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the protective mechanism of leech therapy on testicular ischemia/reperfusion damage.

Methods

18 adult male rats were randomly divided into three groups: 1-Sham-operated group (SO). 2-Torsion/detorsion (T.D) group: two hours of testicular torsion with two hours of testicular detorsion was performed. 3-Torsion/detorsion + Leech therapy (TDL) group. Sperm parameters (motility, vitality, morphology, and concentration), oxidative stress biomarkers (MDA, CAT, GPx, and TAC), histopathological factors (Mean seminiferous tubular diameter, Germinal epithelial cell thickness, Testicular capsule thickness, Johnson’s score, and Cosentino’s score), and immunohistochemical markers for apoptosis detection (Bax, Bcl-2, and Caspase-3) were measured.

Results

There was a significant difference for all sperm parameters in the T. D group compared to the sham group. Leech therapy significantly increased progressive motility and normal morphology and reduced non-progressive motility. In the TDL group, MDA concentration significantly reduced, and levels of GPx, TAC, and CAT remarkably increased. All evaluated histopathological parameters in the TDL group significantly increased compared to the T. D group except for the testicular capsule thickness. T. D notably increased the expression of Bax and Caspase-3, while the treatment group slowed the rate of apoptosis compared to the control group. Bcl-2 expression in the T. D group was significantly lower than that in the sham group. Leech therapy increased the Bcl-2 expression.

Conclusion

Leech therapy attenuates damages to testicular tissue following torsion/detorsion due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects. Hence, it can be considered as an effective remedy for testicular ischemia/reperfusion.

Graphical abstract
Effect of seasonal malaria chemoprevention plus azithromycin on Plasmodium falciparum transmission: gametocyte infectivity and mosquito fitness
Authors: Yaméogo Koudraogo Bienvenue , Yerbanga Rakiswendé Serge , Ouattara Seydou Bienvenu , Yao Franck A. , Lefèvre Thierry , Zongo Issaka , Nikièma Frederic , Compaoré Yves Daniel , Tinto Halidou , Chandramohan Daniel , Greenwood Brian , Belem Adrien M. G. , Cohuet Anna , Ouédraogo Jean Bosco
Published: July 2021

Background

Seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) consists of administration of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) + amodiaquine (AQ) at monthly intervals to children during the malaria transmission period. Whether the addition of azithromycin (AZ) to SMC could potentiate the benefit of the intervention was tested through a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. The effect of SMC and the addition of AZ, on malaria transmission and on the life history traits of Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes have been investigated.

Methods

The study included 438 children randomly selected from among participants in the SMC + AZ trial and 198 children from the same area who did not receive chemoprevention. For each participant in the SMC + AZ trial, blood was collected 14 to 21 days post treatment, examined for the presence of malaria sexual and asexual stages and provided as a blood meal to An. gambiae females using a direct membrane-feeding assay.

Results

The SMC treatment, with or without AZ, significantly reduced the prevalence of asexual Plasmodium falciparum (LRT X22 = 69, P < 0.0001) and the gametocyte prevalence (LRT X22 = 54, P < 0.0001). In addition, the proportion of infectious feeds (LRT X22 = 61, P < 0.0001) and the prevalence of oocysts among exposed mosquitoes (LRT X22 = 22.8, P < 0.001) was reduced when mosquitoes were fed on blood from treated children compared to untreated controls. The addition of AZ to SPAQ was associated with an increased proportion of infectious feeds (LRT X21 = 5.2, P = 0.02), suggesting a significant effect of AZ on gametocyte infectivity. There was a slight negative effect of SPAQ and SPAQ + AZ on mosquito survival compared to mosquitoes fed with blood from control children (LRTX22 = 330, P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that SMC may contribute to a reduction in human to mosquito transmission of P. falciparum, and the reduced mosquito longevity observed for females fed on treated blood may increase the benefit of this intervention in control of malaria. The addition of AZ to SPAQ in SMC appeared to enhance the infectivity of gametocytes providing further evidence that this combination is not an appropriate intervention.
Current status of traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of COVID-19 in China
Authors: Chu Liang , Huang Fang , Zhang Mengdan , Huang Biao , Wang Yigang
Published: July 2021

An ongoing outbreak of severe respiratory illness and pneumonia caused by the severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) commenced in December 2019, and the disease was named as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Soon after, scientists identified the characteristics of SARS-CoV-2, including its genome sequence and protein structure. The clinical manifestations of COVID-19 have now been established; and nucleic acid amplification is used for the direct determination of the virus, whereas immunoassays can determine the antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Clinical trials of several antiviral drugs are ongoing. However, there is still no specific drugs to treat COVID-19. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) was used in the treatment of COVID-19 during the early stages of the outbreak in China. Some ancient TCM prescriptions, which were efficacious in the treatment of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002–03 and the influenza pandemic (H1N1) of 2009, have been improved by experienced TCM practitioners for the treatment of COVID-19 based on their clinical symptoms. These developed new prescriptions include Lianhua Qingwen capsules/granules, Jinhua Qinggan granules and XueBiJing injection, among others. In this review, we have summarized the presenting features of SARS-CoV-2, the clinical characteristics of COVID-19, and the progress in the treatment of COVID-19 using TCMs.
Aesculin based glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase inhibitors as novel preservatives for food and pharmaceutical products: in-silico studies, antioxidant, antimicrobial and preservative efficacy evaluation
Authors: Lather Amit , Sharma Sunil , Khatkar Anurag
Published: July 2021

Background

Presently available chemical based synthetic preservative have emerged with various side effects, so the aspiration of natural and side effect free novel preservative has been greatly increased. As the natural preservative exhibit poor side effect with improved preservative efficacy. The recent development in computational studies leads advancement in drug designing and discovery of novel glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase (G-6-P synthase) inhibition based natural antimicrobial preservatives. Here, selected aesculin derivatives were screened for G-6-P synthase inhibition via docking study and evaluated for antioxidant, antimicrobial, preservative efficacy as well stability study.

Results

Modified aesculin derivatives were designed, synthesized and showed potent G-6-P synthase inhibition with remarkable antimicrobial, antioxidant, preservative efficacy and stability study. The molecular docking with target pdb id 1moq from G-6-P synthase resulted with better dock score and energy for compound 1 as compared to standard drugs streptomycin, ciprofloxacin, ampicillin and fluconazole, that supported the wet lab results. Among the synthesized compounds, the compound 1 possessed good antioxidant activity as compared to standard L-ascorbic acid. The resultant data for antimicrobial activity of aesculin derivatives revealed compound 1 as the most potent antimicrobial compound as compared to the standard drugs streptomycin, ciprofloxacin, ampicillin and fluconazole. While compound 2 showed better antimicrobial activity as compared to streptomycin, ciprofloxacin, ampicillin. The preservative efficacy test for compound 1 in aloe vera juice and white lotion USP has been showed the log CFU/mL values within the prescribed limit of USP standard and results were comparable to standard sodium benzoate, ethyl paraben and propyl paraben. Compound 1 has been found to be within prescribed limit of stability study over six month.

Conclusion

Compound 1 showed the potent G-6-P synthase inhibitory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, preservative efficacy and stability study results as compared to standard drugs taken. The results have found comparable to molecular docking results, and this final compound may be used as new preservatives for food and pharmaceutical products. Moreover, the mechanistic insight into the docking poses was also explored by binding interactions of aesculin derivatives inside the pdb id 1moq. These results also supported the results for novel synthesized G-6-P synthase inhibitors.

Graphical abstract
Comparative population genetics of the invasive mosquito Aedes albopictus and the native mosquito Aedes flavopictus in the Korean peninsula
Authors: Shin Jiyeong , Jung Jongwoo
Published: July 2021

Background

Aedes mosquitoes are important invasive species contributing to the spread of chikungunya, dengue fever, yellow fever, zika virus, and other dangerous vector-borne diseases. Aedes albopictus is native to southeast Asia, with rapid expansion due to human activity, showing a wide distribution in the Korean peninsula. Aedes flavopictus is considered to be native to East Asia, with a broad distribution in the region, including the Korean peninsula. A better understanding of the genetic diversity of these species is critical for establishing strategies for disease prevention and vector control.

Methods

We obtained DNA from 148 specimens of Ae. albopictus and 166 specimens of Ae. flavopictus in Korea, and amplified two mitochondrial genes (COI and ND5) to compare the genetic diversity and structure of the two species.

Results

We obtained a 658-bp sequence of COI and a 423-bp sequence of ND5 from both mosquito species. We found low diversity and a nonsignificant population genetic structure in Ae. albopictus, and high diversity and a nonsignificant structure in Ae. flavopictus for these two mitochondrial genes. Aedes albopictus had fewer haplotypes with respect to the number of individuals, and a slight mismatch distribution was confirmed. By contrast, Ae. flavopictus had a large number of haplotypes compared with the number of individuals, and a large unimodal-type mismatch distribution was confirmed. Although the genetic structure of both species was nonsignificant, Ae. flavopictus exhibited higher genetic diversity than Ae. albopictus.

Conclusions

Aedes albopictus appears to be an introduced species, whereas Ae. flavopictus is endemic to the Korean peninsula, and the difference in genetic diversity between the two species is related to their adaptability and introduction history. Further studies on the genetic structure and diversity of these mosquitos will provide useful data for vector control.
Effects of acute exercise on spontaneous physical activity in mice at different ages
Authors: Quintanilha Ana Carolina Silvares , Benfato Izabelle Dias , Santos Robson Luiz Oliveira , Antunes Hanna Karen Moreira , de Oliveira Camila Aparecida Machado
Published: July 2021

Background

Exercise is often used to obtain a negative energy balance. However, its effects on body weight reduction are usually below expectations. One possible explanation is a reduction in spontaneous physical activity (SPA) after exercise since the increase in energy expenditure caused by the exercise session would be offset by the decrease in SPA and its associated energy cost. Thus, we evaluated the effects of a single bout of moderate exercise at individualized intensity on spontaneous physical activity. The impact of the single bout of exercise was determined in early adulthood and at the transition to middle age.

Methods

Male C57bl/6j (n = 10) mice were evaluated at 4 (4 M) and 9 (9 M) months of age. One week after a treadmill Maximal Exercise Capacity Test (MECT), mice performed a 30-min single bout of exercise at 50 % of the maximal speed reached at MECT. An infrared-based system was used to determine locomotor parameters (SPA and average speed of displacement, ASD) before (basal) and immediately after the single bout of exercise for 48 h (D1, 0-24 h; D2, 24-48 h). Food intake was measured simultaneously. Data were analyzed by GEE and statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

Results

Basal SPA declined from 4 M to 9 M (p = 0.01), but maximal exercise capacity was similar. At both ages, SPA and ASD decreased significantly (p < 0.0001) on day 1 after exercise. On D2, SPA returned to basal levels but ASD remained lower than basal (p < 0.001). The magnitude (% of basal) of change in SPA and ASD on D1 and D2 was similar at 4 M and 9 M. Food intake did not change at 4 M but decreased on D2 at 9 M.

Conclusions

A single bout of moderate exercise decreases physical activity in the first 24 h and average speed of locomotion in the 48 h following exercise. This compensation is similar from early adulthood to the transition to middle age. The decrease in both the amount and intensity (speed) of SPA may compensate for the increase in energy expenditure induced by exercise, helping to understand the below-than-expected effect of exercise interventions to cause a negative energy balance.
A spatial-epidemiological dataset of subjects infected by SARS-CoV-2 during the first wave of the pandemic in Mashhad, second-most populous city in Iran
Authors: MohammadEbrahimi Shahab , Mohammadi Alireza , Bergquist Robert , Akbarian Mahsan , Arian Mahnaz , Pishgar Elahe , Kiani Behzad
Published: July 2021

Objective

In March 2020, Iran tackled the first national wave of COVID-19 that was particularly felt in Mashhad, Iran’s second-most populous city. Accordingly, we performed a spatio-temporal study in this city to investigate the epidemiological aspects of the disease in an urban area and now wish to release a comprehensive dataset resulting from this study.

Data description

These data include two data files and a help file. Data file 1: “COVID-19_Patients_Data” contains the patient sex and age + time from symptoms onset to hospital admission; hospitalization time; co-morbidities; manifest symptoms; exposure up to 14 days before admission; disease severity; diagnosis (with or without RT-PCR assay); and outcome (recovery vs. death). The data covers 4000 COVID-19 patients diagnosed between 14 Feb 2020 and 11 May 2020 in Khorasan-Razavi Province. Data file 2: “COVID-19_Spatiotemporal_Data” is a digital map of census tract divisions of Mashhad, the capital of the province, and their population by gender along with the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths including the calculated rates per 100,000 persons. This dataset can be a valuable resource for epidemiologists and health policymakers to identify potential risk factors, control and prevent pandemics, and optimally allocate health resources.
Differential DNA methylation by early versus late parenteral nutrition in the PICU: a biological basis for its impact on emotional and behavioral problems documented 4 years later
Authors: Jacobs An , Güiza Fabian , Verlinden Ines , Dulfer Karolijn , Garcia Guerra Gonzalo , Joosten Koen , Verbruggen Sascha C. , Vanhorebeek Ilse , Van den Berghe Greet
Published: July 2021

Background

The PEPaNIC multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT) has shown that early administration of supplemental parenteral nutrition (early-PN) as compared with withholding PN for 1 week (late-PN) induced long-term internalizing, externalizing and total emotional/behavioral problems in critically ill children, as observed 4 years later. Early-PN was further shown to alter the methylation status of 37 CpG-sites in leukocyte DNA between admission and discharge from the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). In a preplanned subanalysis of the PEPaNIC trial, we now investigated whether the altered methylation of these CpG-sites could statistically explain the negative impact of early-PN on emotion/behavior documented 4 years after PICU admission.

Results

The combination of DNA methylation data and data on behavior 4 years after PICU admission was available for 403 of the 1440 patients (aged 0–17 years at PICU admission) who were included in the PEPaNIC RCT (192 early-PN and 211 late-PN patients). Mediation analyses with use of bootstrapped multivariable non-linear regression analyses adjusted for baseline risk factors revealed that the adverse alterations by early-PN in methylation of the 37 CpG-sites together statistically explained its harmful impact on internalizing, externalizing and total emotional/behavioral problems. When adding the methylation status of the 37 CpG-sites to the models, the explanatory power improved with a 1.710 to 1.851-fold increase, and the impact of the altered methylation status of the CpG-sites explained the impact of the randomization to early-PN versus late-PN.

Conclusions

Abnormal DNA methylation induced by the early use of PN in the PICU provides a biological basis for its long-term harmful effect on emotion/behavior of critically ill children 4 years after PICU admission.

Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01536275, registered February 17, 2012, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01536275.
SNX27-driven membrane localisation of OTULIN antagonises linear ubiquitination and NF-κB signalling activation
Authors: Shi Ruona , Shi Xue , Qin Dajiang , Tang Shibing , Vermeulen Michiel , Zhang Xiaofei
Published: July 2021

Background

Linear ubiquitination is a novel type of ubiquitination that plays important physiological roles in signalling pathways such as tumour necrosis factor (TNF) signalling. However, little is known about the regulatory mechanisms of linear ubiquitination, except the well-described enzymatic regulators E3 ligase linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex (LUBAC) and deubiquitinase OTULIN.

Results

Previously, we identified SNX27, a member of the sorting nexin family protein, as a selective linear ubiquitin chain interactor in mass spectrometry-based ubiquitin interaction screening. Here, we demonstrated that the interaction between the linear ubiquitin chain and SNX27 is mediated by the OTULIN. Furthermore, we found that SNX27 inhibits LUBAC-mediated linear ubiquitin chain formation and TNFα-induced signalling activation. Mechanistic studies showed that, upon TNFα stimulation, OTULIN-SNX27 is localised to membrane-associated TNF receptor complex, where OTULIN deubiquitinates the linear polyubiquitin chain that formed by the LUBAC complex. Significantly, chemical inhibition of SNX27-retromer translocation by cholera toxin inhibits OTULIN membrane localization.

Conclusions

In conclusion, our study demonstrated that SNX27 inhibits TNFα induced NF-κB signalling activation via facilitating OTULIN to localize to TNF receptor complex.
Current insights into the implications of m6A RNA methylation and autophagy interaction in human diseases
Authors: Chen Xuechai , Wang Jianan , Tahir Muhammad , Zhang Fangfang , Ran Yuanyuan , Liu Zongjian , Wang Juan
Published: July 2021

Autophagy is a conserved degradation process crucial to maintaining the primary function of cellular and organismal metabolism. Impaired autophagy could develop numerous diseases, including cancer, cardiomyopathy, neurodegenerative disorders, and aging. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most common RNA modification in eukaryotic cells, and the fate of m6A modified transcripts is controlled by m6A RNA binding proteins. m6A modification influences mRNA alternative splicing, stability, translation, and subcellular localization. Intriguingly, recent studies show that m6A RNA methylation could alter the expression of essential autophagy-related (ATG) genes and influence the autophagy function. Thus, both m6A modification and autophagy could play a crucial role in the onset and progression of various human diseases. In this review, we summarize the latest studies describing the impact of m6A modification in autophagy regulation and discuss the role of m6A modification-autophagy axis in different human diseases, including obesity, heart disease, azoospermatism or oligospermatism, intervertebral disc degeneration, and cancer. The comprehensive understanding of the m6A modification and autophagy interplay may help in interpreting their impact on human diseases and may aid in devising future therapeutic strategies.
Application of a modified Inception-v3 model in the dynasty-based classification of ancient murals
Authors: Cao Jianfang , Yan Minmin , Jia Yiming , Tian Xiaodong , Zhang Zibang
Published: July 2021

It is difficult to identify the historical period in which some ancient murals were created because of damage due to artificial and/or natural factors; similarities in content, style, and color among murals; low image resolution; and other reasons. This study proposed a transfer learning-fused Inception-v3 model for dynasty-based classification. First, the model adopted Inception-v3 with frozen fully connected and softmax layers for pretraining over ImageNet. Second, the model fused Inception-v3 with transfer learning for parameter readjustment over small datasets. Third, the corresponding bottleneck files of the mural images were generated, and the deep-level features of the images were extracted. Fourth, the cross-entropy loss function was employed to calculate the loss value at each step of the training, and an algorithm for the adaptive learning rate on the stochastic gradient descent was applied to unify the learning rate. Finally, the updated softmax classifier was utilized for the dynasty-based classification of the images. On the constructed small datasets, the accuracy rate, recall rate, and F1 value of the proposed model were 88.4%, 88.36%, and 88.32%, respectively, which exhibited noticeable increases compared with those of typical deep learning models and modified convolutional neural networks. Comparisons of the classification outcomes for the mural dataset with those for other painting datasets and natural image datasets showed that the proposed model achieved stable classification outcomes with a powerful generalization capacity. The training time of the proposed model was only 0.7 s, and overfitting seldom occurred.
Deterministic cooperative hybrid ring-mesh network coding for big data transmission over lossy channels in 5G networks
Authors: Attar Hani H. , Solyman Ahmad A. A. , Alrosan Ayat , Chakraborty Chinmay , Khosravi Mohammad R.
Published: July 2021

Wired and wireless communication data is getting bigger and bigger at such a high pace. Accordingly, the big data (BD) communication networks should be developed as quickly as the quick increase in the exchanging data size is. Based on this regard, this paper proposes a wired and wireless protocol that applies cooperation Network coding (CoNC) in a wired ring topology (WRT) to improve exchanging the BD significantly in wireless mesh network (WMN). The paper presents a solution for distributed nodes to deal with big data over 5G by proposing Hybrid Ring-Mesh Protocols (HRMP) that exploit the CoNC technique at distributed nodes. The proposed protocol (X-ORING) deterministically combines the data that is received at a base station (BS), where the BS wirelessly retransmits the combined data to the WMN members, instead of just forwarding them to the WMN members. Moreover, all members of the WMN are connected by wired optical fibre channels in a WRT and directly to the BS. The results show that applying CoNC in the proposed protocols exploits the advantages of the WRP between the WMN members, and consequently, the WMN packet error rate is significantly improved. Moreover, using optical fibre wires between the mesh network members and the BS increases the WMN coverage region considerably, and allows the BS to receive all members' packets correctly. Finally, the results show that applying CoNC on the WRT improves the entire network maintenance and reliability greatly, simply because the proposed HRMP can continue broadcasting even if one of the direct optical fibre goes out of serves, i.e. the fibre link between one of the N member and the BS lost the connectivity.
Sputum colour as a marker for bacteria in acute exacerbations of COPD: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Spies Ruan , Potter Matthew , Hollamby Ruan , van der Walt Stefan , Hohlfeld Ameer , Ochodo Eleanor , van Zyl-Smit Richard N.
Published: July 2021

Background

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of years of life lost globally. Acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) drive disease progression, reduce quality of life and are a source of mortality in COPD. Approximately 50% of AECOPD are due to bacterial infections. Diagnosing bacterial infection as the aetiology of AECOPD however remains challenging as investigations are limited by practicality, accuracy and expense. Clinicians have traditionally used sputum colour as a marker of bacterial infection in AECOPD, despite the lack of high-quality evidence for this practice. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to determine the diagnostic accuracy of sputum colour in the diagnosis of bacterial causes of AECOPD.

Methods

Articles will be searched for in electronic databases (MEDLINE, Google Scholar Scopus, Web of Science, Africa-Wide, CINAHL and Health Source Nursing Academy) and we will conduct a review of citation indexes and the grey literature. Two reviewers will independently conduct study selection, against pre-defined eligibility criteria, data extraction and quality assessment of included articles using the QUADAS-2 tool. We will perform a meta‐analysis using a bivariate logistic regression model with random effects. We will explore heterogeneity through the visual examination of the forest plots of sensitivities and specificities and through the inclusion of possible sources of heterogeneity as covariates in a meta-regression model if sufficient studies are included in the analysis. We also perform a sensitivity analysis to explore the effect of study quality on our findings. The results of this review will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis statement and will be submitted for peer-review and publication.

Discussion

The findings of this review will assist clinicians in diagnosing the aetiology of AECOPD and may have important implications for decision making in resource-limited settings, as well as for antimicrobial stewardship.

Systematic review registration

PROSPERO CRD42019141498
Common fixed point theorems for several multivalued mappings on proximinal sets in regular modular space
Authors: Faried N. , Abd El-Ghaffar H. , Hamdy S.
Published: July 2021

In this paper, we found a common fixed point for several multivalued mappings on proximinal sets in regular modular metric space. Also, we introduced the notions of conjoint F-proximinal contraction as well as conjoint F-proximinal contraction of Hardy–Rogers-type for several multivalued mappings. Furthermore, we enhanced our results by giving an application in integral equations.
Parental experiences with their child’s eating disorder treatment journey
Authors: Coelho Jennifer S. , Suen Janet , Marshall Sheila , Burns Alex , Lam Pei-Yoong , Geller Josie
Published: July 2021

Background

Parents are integral in the treatment of pediatric eating disorders. The current study was conducted to further understand the barriers and facilitators that parents experience in accessing specialized, tertiary level eating disorder treatment for children and adolescents. The goals of the study were to understand the processes leading to diagnosis and treatment, perceived barriers and facilitators to accessing care, and parents’ experiences over the course of their child’s eating disorder treatment.

Methods

Ten parents whose children were admitted to a Canadian tertiary level specialized pediatric eating disorders program took part in an exit interview upon their child’s completion of treatment in the program. In-depth semi-structured interviews were combined with a visual timeline. Interpretive induction was performed to generate high-level concepts that emerged from the interviews.

Results

Five high-level concepts were identified: (1) delays in identifying eating disorder symptoms, (2) challenges in accessing eating disorder services, (3) the right treatment at the right time, (4) emotional impact on parents, and (5) parental expertise and involvement.

Conclusions

Several barriers were identified by parents that interfered with treatment, including system-related challenges when accessing specialized eating disorder treatment, concerns about a lack of appropriate mental health support for their child, and difficulties with transitioning between community and tertiary level care. Negative emotions, including guilt and self-blame, were common early in the treatment journey. Themes of parental involvement throughout treatment, and parents taking charge of their child’s recovery, emerged across interviews. The results of this study suggest the importance of early identification of eating disorder symptoms, facilitating smoother transitions between levels of care (e.g., community services and hospital-based eating disorder care), and improving clinical decision-making to ensure children and adolescents with eating disorders receive the most appropriate treatment based on their clinical presentation.
Vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms and idiopathic Parkinson disease: an Egyptian study
Authors: Fahmy Ebtesam Mohamed , Elawady Mohamed Elsayed , Sharaf Sahar , Heneidy Sarah , Ismail Rania Shehata
Published: July 2021

Background

Accumulating data have suggested that vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene is a pretender gene for vulnerability to Parkinson disease (PD). This study aimed to assess the relationship of VDR gene polymorphisms (FokI and ApaI) with PD. Fifty patients suffering from PD and 50 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included. Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) was done to assess disease severity. Genetic testing for VDR gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (FokI and ApaI) was done using real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique.

Results

Concerning frequency of genes and alleles for vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms (FokI and ApaI), no statistically significant difference was found between PD patients and controls. AC genotype was associated with younger age and younger age at onset of disease compared to CC and AA genotypes of ApaI gene polymorphisms. CC genotype was significantly positively correlated with fatigue and urine incontinence. VDR gene polymorphisms were not found to be independent predictors for severity of PD after adjustment for possible confounders.

Conclusion

VDR gene polymorphisms are related to the clinical manifestations rather than etiology or severity of idiopathic PD.
Chronicle of an Indian psychiatrist's mindfulness journey retold
Authors: Krishnan Sivasubramoney
Published: July 2021

This article describes the author's discovery of mindfulness and its method and describes the bias against mindfulness even at the beginning of the 21st century. The short essay also throws light on recent developments in mindfulness training and practice in the world and in the state of Kerala in South India.
Human Papilloma Virus Distribution Across the African Diaspora
Authors: Jeudin Patricia , Abebe Tamrat , Butler Raleigh , Hooi Desiree , Watt Angela , Capo-chichi Callinice D. , George Sophia , Ragin Camille , McFarlane Anderson Normal , Schlumbrecht Matthew
Published: July 2021

PURPOSE

Understanding the distribution of human papilloma virus (HPV) subtypes in limited-resource settings is imperative for cancer prevention strategies in these regions. The objective of our study is to compare the prevalence of cervical HPV genotypes in women across the African diaspora.

METHODS

This study was approved by the African Caribbean Consortium (AC3). Six member institutions (Benin, Ethiopia, The Bahamas, Tobago, Curacao, and Jamaica) provided independently collected HPV data. Prevalence comparisons across for each nation were performed followed by an assessment of anticipated 9-valent vaccine coverage. Chi-square or Fisher's exact tests were used with significance at P < .05.

RESULTS

One thousand three hundred fifty high-risk (HR) and 584 low-risk (LR) HPV subtypes were identified in the entire cohort. The most common HR HPV subtype was HPV 16 (17.9%) of infections. The distribution of HR and LR subtypes varied by country. The proportion of HR-HPV subtypes covered by the current 9-valent vaccine was lower in African countries compared with the Caribbean countries (47.9% v 67.9%; P < .01). No significant difference was seen for LR subtypes (8.1% African continent v 5.2% Caribbean; P = .20). Marked variation in the proportion of infections covered by the 9-valent vaccine persisted in individual countries.

CONCLUSION

Significant variations in HPV prevalence were identified among African and Afro-Caribbean women. A large number of women in these regions are potentially uncovered by current vaccination formulation, particularly low-risk HPV infections.
Anion and Solvent Manipulated Out-to-In Growth Mechanism to Assemble a Series of Different Dysprosium Clusters
Authors: Lu Xing-Lin , Wang Hai-Ling , Zhu Zhong-Hong , Liu Tong , Zou Hua-Hong , Liang Fu-Pei
Published: July 2021

Although various lanthanide clusters with different shapes and connections have been synthesised, more rules are still needed to guide their further serial expansion and directed structural modification. Herein, we used the multidentate chelating ligand N′2,N′9-bis((E)-2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidene)-1,10-phenanthroline-2,9-dicarbohydrazide (H4L) to react with Dy(NO3)3·6H2O under EtOH/CH3CN conditions to obtain an example of a nonanuclear dysprosium cluster, i.e., [Dy9(L)2(μ2-OH)(μ3-OH)6(NO3)12(H2O)3]·5CH3CN·H2O (1). The structural framework of cluster 1 contains 2 (L)4− ligands, 1 μ2-OH−, 6 μ3-OH−, 12 NO3−, and 3 H2O. Each ligand (L)4− chelates five Dy(III) ions, and its coordination mode is μ5-η1:η2:η1:η2:η1:η1:η2:η1:η2:η1. Cluster 1 has many different connection modes of NO3−, such as μ5-η2:η2:η2, μ2-η1:η1, and μ2-η1:η2. Notably, we only changed the metal salt to Dy(OAc)3·6H2O and obtained an example of a trinuclear dysprosium cluster, i.e., [Dy3(H2L)(OAc)7]·CH3CN·3H2O (2). The structure of cluster 2 contains three Dy(III) ions, one (H2L)2− ion, one μ3-η2:η2-bridged OAc− and six end-coordinated OAc−. The coordination mode of ligand (H2L)2− is μ3-η1:η1:η2:η1:η1:η1:η2:η1. More notably, we only changed the solvent to MeOH/CH3CN, and under the same reaction conditions, we got an example of a dodeca-nucleus dysprosium cluster, i.e., [Dy12(L)4(μ2-OH)2(OAc)14(H2O)8]·4C2H3O2·2H2O (3). In cluster 3, ligand (L)4− adopts the μ5-η1:η2:η1:η2:η1:η1:η2:η1:η2:η1 coordination mode, and the four ligands (L)4− are connected to each other forming the grid structure. Twelve Dy(III) ions are “embedded” in the chelating sites of the ligand and bridged by multiple OAc− ions. A large cavity is formed in the centre of the ‘well’ in cluster 3. The test results of variable temperature AC magnetic susceptibility show that clusters 1–3 all exhibit single-molecule magnet behaviour. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to describe that an out-to-in growth mechanism has been manipulated by anions and solvents to realise the synthesis of a series of completely differently connected dysprosium clusters. In addition, this mechanism is also one of the rare examples of anion and solvent co-induced assembly to form lanthanide clusters with completely different shapes and connections.
Orderly Entangled Nanostructures of Metal–Peptide Strands
Authors: Sawada Tomohisa , Fujita Makoto
Published: July 2021

Construction of entangled nanostructures from molecular rings or strands has long attracted chemists, yet synthetic approaches for highly entangled nanostructures remain unexplored to date. Here, we introduce our recent achievements in construction of such nanostructures by utilization of metal–peptide strands. Our folding-and-assembly strategy, that is based on a cooperative processes of peptide self-folding and metal-induced self-assembly, has afforded unprecedented topological nanostructures through threading of multiple metal–peptide rings. Starting from the initial design of the system, we discuss remarkable examples such as polyhedral links, torus knots, and a poly[n]catenane, and state the perspectives in this account review.
Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση και πολιτική υγείας: Οι μηχανισμοί εξευρωπαϊσμού των συστημάτων υγείας
Authors: Seretis Stergios , Sotiriou Sotiris , Pantoularis Ioannis , Poulimas Michalis , Kondilis Elias
Published: July 2021

Ο εξευρωπαϊσμός, η διαδικασία δηλαδή διαμόρφωσης και μεταφοράς πολιτικών της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης (ΕΕ) στα κράτη μέλη, είναι έννοια επίκαιρη, αφορώντας ολοένα και περισσότερα πεδία άσκησης πολιτικής. Σκοπός του άρθρου είναι η διερεύνηση της έκτασης και έντασης του εξευρωπαϊσμού στο πεδίο της πολιτικής υγείας και η δημιουργία ενός θεωρητικού, ταξινομητικού πλαισίου των μηχανισμών μέσω των οποίων αυτός συντελείται. Τα αποτελέσματα της μελέτης δείχνουν, πρώτον, ότι ο εξευρωπαϊσμός στο πεδίο της πολιτικής υγείας ως θεσμική πρακτική υφίσταται και συνεχώς διευρύνεται και, δεύτερον, ότι, ενώ πριν την εκδήλωση της οικονομικής κρίσης επιλέγονταν κύρια οριζόντιοι μη υποχρεωτικοί μηχανισμοί εξευρωπαϊσμού, κατά την περίοδο της κρίσης παρατηρείται μετακίνηση σε κάθετους υποχρεωτικούς μηχανισμούς, που αυξάνουν την ένταση των παρεμβάσεων της ΕΕ στο χώρο της υγείας.
The HVT Technique and the "Uncertainty" Relation for Central
Authors: Grypeos M. , Koutroulos C. G. , Oyewumi K. J. , Petridou Th.
Published: July 2021

The quantum mechanical hypervirial theorems (HVT) technique is used to treat the so-called "uncertainty" relation for quite a wide class of central potential wells, including the (reduced) Poeschl-Teller and the Gaussian one.It is shown that this technique is quite suitable in deriving an approximate analytic expression in the form of a truncated power series expansion for the dimensionless product $P_{nl}\equiv _{nl}
_{nl}/\hbar^2$, for every (deeply) bound state of a particle moving non-relativistically in the well, provided that a (dimensionless) parameter s is sufficiently small. Numerical results are also given and discussed.