bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A combined spatial score of granzyme B and CD68 surpasses CD8 as an independent prognostic factor in TNM stage II colorectal cancer
Authors: Noti Luca , Galván José A. , Dawson Heather , Lugli Alessandro , Berger Martin D. , Kirsch Richard , Assarzadegan Naziheh , Messenger David , Krebs Philippe , Zlobec Inti
Published: April 2022

Background: Previous assessments of peritumoral inflammatory infiltrate in colorectal cancer (CRC) have focused on the role of CD8+ T lymphocytes. We sought to compare the prognostic value of CD8 with downstream indicators of active immune cell function, specifically granzyme B (GZMB) and CD68 in the tumour microenvironment. Methods: Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining was performed for CD8, GZMB, CD68 and CD163 on next-generation tissue microarrays (ngTMAs) in a primary cohort (n=107) and a TNM stage II validation cohort (n=151). Using digital image analysis, frequency of distinct immune cell types was calculated for tumour proximity (TP) zones with varying radii (10mm-100mm) around tumour cells.Results: Associations notably of advanced TNM stage were observed for low density of CD8 (p=0.002), GZMB (p<0.001), CD68 (p=0.034) and CD163 (p=0.011) in the primary cohort. In the validation cohort only low GZMB (p=0.036) was associated with pT4 stage. Survival analysis showed strongest prognostic effects in the TP25mm zone at the tumour centre for CD8, GZMB and CD68 (all p<0.001) in the primary cohort and for CD8 (p=0.072), GZMB (p=0.035) and CD68 (p=0.004) in the validation cohort with inferior prognostic effects observed at the tumour invasive margin. In a multivariate survival analysis, joint analysis of GZMB and CD68 was similarly prognostic to CD8 in the primary cohort (p=0.007 vs. p=0.002) and superior to CD8 in the validation cohort (p=0.005 vs. p=0.142). Conclusion: Combined high expression of GZMB and CD68 within 25mm to tumour cells is an independent prognostic factor in CRC and of superior prognostic value to the well-established CD8 in TNM stage II cancers. Thus, assessment of antitumoral effect should consider the quality of immune activation in peritumoral inflammatory cells and their actual proximity to tumour cells.
Serum levels of Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 in children with Kawasaki disease
Authors: Tu Danna , Gan Yi , Feng Yawei , Zhou Xiaoqin , Shu Junhua , Li Heng , Wang Guirong , Anni Maidina
Published: April 2022

Background: Kawasaki disease (KD) has replaced rheumatic fever as the main cause of acquired heart disease in Japanese, American, and Chinese children. Polymorphisms in angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) may be associated with susceptibility to KD, but the association of ACE2 with vascular endothelial injury in KD and the possibility for prognosis of vascular injury in KD by evaluating changes serum ACE2 has not yet been assessed. Thus, this study aimed to investigate angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) levels in patients with KD to further investigate the relationship between ACE2 and vascular injury in KD.Methods: Blood samples were collected from 49 children with KD before intravenous immunoglobulin treatment and 28 healthy children as a control group. Clinical data were collected from the patients and serum ACE2 levels of all participants were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results: Serum ACE2 levels were significantly higher in the KD group than in the control group. Serum ACE2 levels were negatively correlated with platelet count (Plt) levels in patients with KD.Conclusions: Serum ACE2 levels may be related to the severity of coronary artery damage in children with KD.
Broadband and perfect absorption in monolayer MoS2 based multilayered structure arranged in Kolakoski sequence
Authors: Zhao Yining , Zhou Kai , Chen Bojun , Da Haixia
Published: April 2022

Monolayer MoS2 has excellent optical properties, but its low light absorption rate affects its application in optical absorbers. To improve its absorption performance, we design a perfect MoS2 absorption structure in the visible band based on the omnidirectional reflectivity of the Kolakoski sequence aperiodic multilayer structure with SiO2 and Si as dielectric materials. By optimizing the thickness of SiO2 (db) and Si (dc) and adjusting the number of periods (N) of the basic absorption unit (S), we obtain the best absorption spectra of the structure in the case of vertical incidence of transverse electric and transverse magnetic waves, respectively. When N is set to 3, the structure achieves complete absorption in the 350 nm-450 nm band; when N is increased to 5 and 7, the average absorption of the structure in the 350 nm-600 nm band is over 90%. After that, we use the critical coupling theory to explain this result. In addition, the stability and practicality of this structure are verified by analyzing the full-angle absorption spectra of the absorption structure under different polarization conditions at different period numbers.
Association between spicy foods consumption and cardiovascular disease risk factors: Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study
Authors: Zhang Yu , Lu Zi Long , Zhang Wei Sen , Jin Ya Li , Zhu Tong , Xu Lin
Published: April 2022

Background: Evidence regarding the association of spicy foods intake with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors was less clear, especially in those with diabetes. We hereby examined the association of spicy foods intake with CVD risk factors in older Chinese.Methods: 30,325 participants (72.34% women) aged 50+ years were recruited in the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study from 2003 to 2008. Information of spicy foods intake and disease history was collected by face-to-face interview and CVD risk factors were measured. Diabetes was defined by a fasting plasma glucose (FPG) ≥7.0 mmol/L and/or self-reported physician-diagnosed diabetes. Results: Of 30,325 participants, 12.9% consumed spicy foods regularly. After adjusting for multiple confounders, participants who consumed spicy foods of 5-7 days/week, versus none, had higher body mass index (1.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.95 to 1.42 kg/m2), waist circumference (2.78, 95% CI 2.17-3.39 cm), waist-to-hip ratio (0.010, 95% CI 0.006 to 0.014), systolic blood pressure (2.44, 95% CI 0.92 to 3.97 mmHg), diastolic blood pressure (1.19, 95% CI 1.13 to 2.73 mmHg), FPG (0.304, 95% CI 0.182 to 0.426 mmol/L), triglycerides (0.184, 95% CI 0.095 to 0.273 mmol/L), and lower high density lipoprotein cholesterol (-0.041, 95% CI -0.069 to -0.012 mmol/L). Similar results were found for the associations of spicy foods strength with CVD risk factors. The results attenuated slightly but not substantially by diabetes status. Conclusions: Our study showed that higher frequency and strength of spicy foods intake were associated with unfavorable cardiovascular disease risk profile in older people, and such associations did not vary by diabetes status. Whether the results were causal needs to be determined in further studies.
Polymeric Nanoassemblies based Gene/drug Co-delivery for Autophagy Modulation and Tumor Multidrug-resistance
Authors: Sun Yong , Wang Changduo , Li Zhipeng , Xu Ping , Xu Lisa , Han Shangcong
Published: April 2022

Multidrug resistance (MDR) has been restricting the efficacy of chemotherapy, which mainly include pump resistance and nonpump resistance. In order to fight overall MDR, a novel targeted gene/drug co-deliver nano system is developed, which can suppress the drug efflux pumps and modulate autophagy to overcoming both pump and nonpump resistance. RNA interference (RNAi) is widely applied in combating MDR through knocking down MDR-related gene. Here, small interfere RNA (siRNA) is incorporated into polymer-drug conjugates (PP) which are composed of polyethyleneimine (PEI) and paclitaxel (PTX) via covalent bonds, and hyaluronic acid (HA) is coated on the surface of PP/siRNA to achieve long blood cycle and CD44-targeted delivery. The polymeric nanoassemblies (PP/siRNA/HA) would be shattered and release PTX under the enrich-enzyme intracellular environment. This study identifies PP/siRNA/HA could efficiently facilitate apoptosis of Taxol-resistant lung cancer cells (A549/T) to reverse MDR through down-regulating P-gp and block autophagic flux. Further study indicates that PEI conjugates play a significant role to block the autophagosome–lysosome fusion process by means of alkalizing lysosomes. Both in vitro and in vivo studies confirm that the nanoassemblies can successfully deliver drug into tumor cells and significantly inhibited A549/T tumor growth. In summary, the polymeric nanoassemblies provide a potential strategy for combating both pump and nonpump resistance via the synergism of RNAi and autophagy modulation.
Identification of quantitative trait loci controlling radish root shape using QTL-seq
Authors: Hu Tianhua , Wei Qingzhen , Wang Jinglei , Wang Wuhong , Hu Haijiao , Yan Yaqin , Bao Chonglai
Published: April 2022

Root shape is an important characteristic that affects the commodity of radish (Raphanus sativus L.). This trait can be measured using the ratio of root length (RL) to root diameter (RD). Although it is known that root shape is controlled by multiple quantitative trait loci (QTLs), reliable QTLs for regulating radish root shape are still lacking. In the present study, three F2 populations were constructed by crossing five radish cultivars with significant differences in root shape. A total of 1282 F2 individuals were measured to determine the root length and maximum diameter. Highdepth resequencing of six extreme pools and five parents was performed, and the bulk-segregant approach coupled with whole genome re-sequencing (QTL-seq) was used to detect QTLs. The results showed that radish root shape was positively correlated with root length. Seven QTLs distributed on five radish chromosomes (R1, R2, R4, R5, and R7) were identified for root shape, two of which (rs7.1 and rs7.2) had an overlap of 1.02 Mb (13.79-14.81 Mb). In addition, rs4.1 and rs4.2 were adjacent to each other on the R4 chromosome. The present study provides an important foundation for the fine mapping and functional analysis of root shape QTLs as well as cultivar breeding for root shape.
Relationship between Leisure Experience and Aggression: Mediating Effect of Self-esteem
Authors: Wang Xiaotian , Xia Ximei , Yu Hairong
Published: April 2022

Studies have suggested that leisure has divergent effects on adolescent aggression. Our aim was to further study the relationship between leisure experience and aggression according the theory of leisure boredom. We investigated the role of leisure experience from four aspects: perceived freedom, perceived intrinsic motivation, perceived extrinsic motivation, and perceived competence. Furthermore, based on the ABCs of rational–emotive theory, we explored the mediating role of self-esteem between leisure experience and aggression. The participants included 660 Chinese teenagers with an average age of 14. Among them, male students accounted for 310 (49.4%) and female students totaled 318 (50.6%). We used three questionnaires to measure leisure experience, self esteem and aggression. We found that leisure experience was positively correlated with self-esteem and negatively correlated with aggression. Self-esteem was also negatively correlated with aggression. Additionally, self-esteem played a mediating role between leisure experience and aggression. The results suggest that the focus should not only be on the influence of content of youth leisure activities on aggression, but also on experience during leisure, since the latter could have wide-ranging effects by influencing self-esteem levels.
Teaming Up to Traverse Loneliness: a Co-creative Journey Toward a Home Care Work Model for Supporting Social Participation Among Older Adults
Authors: Nordin Therese , Coe Anna-Britt , Nilsson Ingeborg
Published: April 2022

Background: There is a disparity between what is known about the benefits of social participation and home care’s responsibility to provide conditions amenable to older adults’ social participation, and what is accomplished in home care practice. Home care workers are a large, low-power group, working in a complex environment, whose competences should be better harnessed. We carried out a participatory action research (PAR) project with the goal of generating an improved structure for identifying and alleviating loneliness. This article aims to explore the co-creative process of designing a work model that guides home care workers in supporting social participation among older care recipients.Methods: Multimodal data from 16 PAR workshops with 14 homecare workers were described and explored through the ‘recursive PAR process’ and the ‘framework for occupational enablement for change in community practice”. Results: The PAR process is outlined through the objectives, activities, and work model, as well as enablement strategies employed throughout the PAR process; as are its opportunities, challenges and implications. The work model describes how care workers can act as discoverers of care recipients’ unmet social needs, employ intentional communication, and link to relevant professions or community services to alleviate loneliness among older home care recipients.Conclusions: This research process included opportunities of collaborating with enthusiastic and competent home care workers, but also challenges of moving between theory and practice and maintaining active participation between workshops. The resulting work model is in step with the requirements of elderly care and is unique in its field. This research could comprise a first step toward a more systematic approach of assessing and addressing loneliness and moving home care towards its legislated goals of person-centered care that supports older adults’ rights to a meaningful life with others in the community.
Proteomics Reveal the Landscape of Gender Disparity in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Luo Zhigang , He Jian , Lin Shuhai , Shou Feng , Zhang Jingjun , Chu Lei , Zhang Xingcai
Published: April 2022

The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in males is about 2 to 3 times higher than that of females. In order to figure out what cause this disparity, we performed isobaric tags for HCC tumor tissues and para-tumor tissues, via relative and absolute quantitation-based quantitative proteomics to obtain data of differential expression proteins (DEPs). The results show that the expressions of glutathione S-transferase Mu 1(GSTM1) was not significantly different between male and female in para-tumor tissues, while the expression of GSTM1 in tumor tissues of female is just 5.6% of that of male, together with further investigation, indicating that the pathway of xenobiotics metabolism by cytochrome P450 may play an essential role in the gender disparity epigenetic on HCC. Furthermore, potential association between GSTM1 and human interleukin 6 (IL-6) was found. Our findings suggest that low expression of GSTM1 increases the vulnerability on HCC in male, which may be the very reason why the HCC incidence in males is higher than females, and GSTM1 may affect occurrence and development of hepatocellular cancer via xenobiotic detoxification and regulation on Interleukin-6 (IL-6) expression, paving a way for HCC theranostics.
Development of a Massive Open Online Course to Caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Lumini Maria José , Sousa Maria Rui , Salazar Berta , Martins Teresa
Published: April 2022

BackgroundThe COVID-19 disease caused several challenges to health systems, namely an increase in morbidity and mortality. The elderly are more vulnerable to this disease and more susceptible to develop serious complications. The WHO, recommends healthy directives to the elderly and their caregivers in the pandemic context. The Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) emerge as a solution to support the empowerment of family caregivers of vulnerable people, especially in times of social isolation.Objectivesthe study sought to develop and validate a MOOC, integrating personal and housing hygiene measures to be adopted in self-care related activities, surveillance and monitoring by caregivers of the most vulnerable home-dwelling dependent people, in order to provide safe care and prevent coronavirus infection.MethodsA methodological study was developed with two phases. Phase 1 aimed to validate the contents to be integrated into the MOOC and its development. Phase 2, a pilot study was carried out with a convenience sample of 33 caregivers to verify the adequacy of the course to its target audience, involved a group of caregivers. Caregivers filled one questionnaire to assess the gathered knowledge, the Family Caregiving Factors Inventory (FCFI), one sociodemographic questionnaire and the questionnaire to evaluate the acceptance of the MOOC.ResultsParticipants presented an average knowledge score before attending the MOOC of 14.94 (SD = 2.72) and after viewing the course of 16.52. The questionnaire to evaluate the acceptance of the MOOC, following the TAM model, shows that the caregivers were satisfied with the course, considering it useful, with clear and understandable information. Through the FCFI the vast majority of caregivers showed adequate knowledge to respond to the care challenges and good personal and social resources to accompany their family members.ConclusionsThis MOOC constitutes an important tool to raise awareness and provide better training to informal caregivers.
Geospatial Analysis of Malaria Prevalence among Children Under Five Years in Jigawa State, North West, Nigeria
Authors: Yakudima Ismaila Ibrahim , Adamu Yusuf Muhammad , Samat Narimah , Mohammed Murtala Uba , Abdulkarim Ishaq Aliyu , Hassan Nura Ibrahim
Published: April 2022

Malaria is one of the leading causes of illness and death in developing countries. Despite growing international concern and efforts to provide effective treatment through the development and improvement of vector control mechanisms, malaria infection continues to remain a leading health problem in Africa, particularly south of the Sahara. At present, however, very few studies have been undertaken that investigate the spatial distribution of malaria cases. This study, therefore, aims to employ geospatial tools to map out areas of high and low malaria prevalence among children under the age of five years. Annual malaria prevalence was computed using confirmed cases from 2014 to 2019 in Jigawa state. Spatial autocorrelation techniques using global Moran’s I and Getis-Ord Gi* statistics were applied. Overall malaria prevalence ranged between 2,743 and 12,916 per 100,000 populations. Results of the overall global Moran’s I indicate a statistically significant degree of positive autocorrelation (I = 0.358122, Z = 3.721018, P = 0.000198) and all the years under study showed clustered patterns. Hotspot analysis was further explored to show the location of clusters. The results of the analysis detected high prevalence clusters in central and north-western parts of the state. The study recommends targeting hotspot areas in the design and implementation of malaria control activities.
Detecting macroevolutionary genotype-phenotype associations using error-corrected rates of protein convergence
Authors: Fukushima Kenji , Pollock David
Published: April 2022

On macroevolutionary timescales, extensive mutations and phylogenetic uncertainty mask the signals of genotype-phenotype associations underlying convergent evolution. To overcome this problem, we extended the widely used framework of nonsynonymous-to-synonymous substitution rate ratios and developed the novel metric ωC, which measures the error-corrected convergence rate of protein evolution. While ωC distinguishes natural selection from genetic noise and phylogenetic errors in simulation and real examples, its accuracy allows an exploratory genome-wide search of adaptive molecular convergence without phenotypic hypothesis or candidate genes. Using gene expression data, we explored over 20 million branch combinations in vertebrate genes and identified the joint convergence of expression patterns and protein sequences with amino acid substitutions in functionally important sites, providing hypotheses on undiscovered phenotypes. We further extended our method with a heuristic algorithm to detect highly repetitive convergence among computationally nontrivial higher-order phylogenetic combinations. Our approach allows bidirectional searches for genotype-phenotype associations, even in lineages that diverged for hundreds of millions of years.
Assessment of groundwater quality and human health risk impact on fluoride concentration: A case study of Namakkal district, South India
Authors: Kaliyan Kalaivanan , Karuppaiah Sankar , Duraisamy Shanthi
Published: April 2022

This study evaluates the health hazards of fluoride contamination of groundwater in the Namakkal district of south India based on the water quality index. The samples were collected during the NEM season from bore wells and analysed for major anion and cation. There is generally no smell or colour to the groundwater in the study area. The pH of the groundwater samples is acidic to alkaline in nature. Higher EC was noted at 7650 µS/cm during the NEM season. Na+ is the most abundant ion in groundwater, followed by Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, then Cl-, SO42- > HCO3-, and then F-. The majority of ions like Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Cl-, SO4-, HCO3, and F- recorded higher concentrations during NEM seasons, representing the action of leaching, dissolution, and weathering anthropogenic influences on the groundwater quality. Hill-Piper plot showed the majority of the groundwater samples fall in CaHCO3, NaCl, and Mixed CaNaHCO3, CaMgCl, with minor representations in CaCl and NaHCO3 being noted during the NEM. The Gibbs plot shows all the water samples belonging to rock dominance. The WQI value varies between 22.08 and 211.64 throughout the NEM seasons, with a mean of 78.90. According to the Water Quality Index (WQI), 26%, 33%, and 14% of water types have good, poor, and extremely poor quality, respectively. The average F- level is 1.12 mg/l and ranges from 0.27 to 0.39 mg/l. There is excessive fluoride concentration in 76 % of the groundwater samples (WHO 2011). Children, women, and men should undergo health risk assessments based on non-carcinogenic risk estimates for fluoride oral and dermal pathways. The health risk assessment for this study is that children are the most susceptible to fluoride intake. Consequently, more treatments must be initiated to appraise the water as good quality, and government organizations need to select and provide appropriate groundwater for the inhabitants.
Metabolic framework of spontaneous and synthetic sourdough metacommunities to unravel microbial players implying resilience and performance
Authors: Calabrese Francesco Maria , Ameur Hana , Nikoloudaki Olga , Celano Giuseppe , Vacca Mirco , Junior Wilson J F Lemos , Manzari Caterina , Vertè Fabienne , Cagno Raffaella Di , Pesole Graziano , De Angelis Maria , Gobbetti Marco
Published: April 2022

Background: In nature, microbial communities undergo changes in composition threatening their resilient behaviour. Here, we interrogated sourdough, a natural cereal-fermenting metacommunity, as challenging ecosystem, where players undergo continuous environmental and spatiotemporal stimuli. Results: Inspecting meta-genomes and -transcriptomes, spontaneous sourdoughs harboured dominant, sub-dominant and satellite players differently engaged in functional pathways. The highest microbial richness bared the highest number of gene copies per pathway. Merging meta-24 omics data or using the same microbiota of a spontaneous sourdough, we de novo reconstructed two synthetic microbial communities, respectively, SDG and SMC-SD43. In vitro, the KEGG number of dominant players in SDG was not affected by single player depletion; that of sub-dominants and satellites fluctuated but showed unique contributions. Compared to SMC-SD43, SDG ensured broader transcriptome redundancy. After in situ long-time back slopping, SDG kept stable, with constant volatilome. SMC-SD43 lost many members. Dominant, sub-dominant and satellite players altogether ensured gene and transcript redundancy. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates how starting from spontaneous sourdoughs and by reconstructing the synthetic community it was possible to unravel the metabolic contribution of individual players. To be resilient and performing, the sourdough metacommunity had to comprise dominant, sub-dominant and satellite players, which, only altogether, ensured gene and transcript redundancy. Overall, our study changed the paradigm and introduced theoretical foundations for steering food fermentations.
LncRNA NEAT1 regulates apoptosis in Parkinson's disease via sponging miR-132-3p
Authors: Xie Anmu , Liu Yumei , Yao Weichao , Gao Jing , Yang Liying
Published: April 2022

Emerging studies have indicated that dysregulation of long non-coding RNA nuclear-enriched assembly transcript 1 (lncRNA NEAT1) is closely associated with development of Parkinson’s disease (PD). But the potential mechanism of NEAT1 is unclear. SH-SY5Y cells were treated with MPP+ to mimic PD, transfected sh-NEAT1 to mediate NEAT1 level. Cell viability was detected by CCK-8 assays. Apoptotic cytokines were detected by qRT-PCR and western blot. TargetScan6.2 database and dual-luciferase reporter assay were conducted to validate the interaction between indicated molecules. The expression of Bim, Bax and cleaved caspase-3 was increased, while the expression of miR-132-3p, p-FOXO3a and Bcl-2 was reduced. Knockdown of NEAT1 retrain apoptosis and increased miR-132-3p expression. Besides, NEAT1 was verified as a direct target of miR-132-3p. NEAT1 knockdown suppressed apoptosis in PD through regulating the miR-132-3p/FOXO3a/Bim/caspase and miR-132-3p/Bax/Bcl-2/caspase 3 pathways, providing a promising therapeutic intervention strategy for PD.
Impact of baseline versus intercurrent steroids administration on upfront chemo- immunotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
Authors: De Giglio Andrea , Aprile Marta , Federico Alessandro , Sperandi Francesca , Melotti Barbara , Gelsomino Francesco , Ardizzoni Andrea
Published: April 2022

Background: The baseline use of steroids has been associated with worse survival outcomes in patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with single-agent immune-checkpoint inhibitors.Objective: We investigated the impact of baseline versus intercurrent corticosteroid therapy on the efficacy of chemotherapy plus pembrolizumab (CT-ICI) as first-line treatment for advanced NSCLC patients.Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on metastatic NSCLC patients treated with upfront CT-ICI at our institution between March 2020 and December 2021. The use of steroids was considered as the administration of at least 10 mg of prednisone equivalent. Results: Of 101 patients, 36 (35.6%) received steroid therapy at baseline, and 18 (17.8%) started steroids on treatment. Overall, median progression-free survival (mPFS) was 6.5 months (95% CI, 5.9-8.9) and median overall survival (mOS) was 18.2 months (95% CI, 8.9-NR). Patients taking baseline steroids had significantly shorter survival than those not taking them (mPFS 5.0 vs. 8.9 months, p=0.00011; mOS 7.0 months vs. not reached, p <0.0001). Intercurrent steroid administration was associated to prolonged OS (not reached vs. 8.9 months, p = 0.0057) but not PFS (6.1 vs. 9.2 months, p = 0.098). Baseline steroids were significantly associated with poorer survival outcomes in the multivariate model. Conversely, intercurrent prescription did not reach a significant value regardless of other pivotal variables included in the model. Conclusions: Baseline steroid administration was associated with a detrimental effect on survival outcomes in NSCLC patients treated with CT-ICI. The role of intercurrent steroid administration should be further explored in larger studies.
Association between Ivermectin treatment and mortality in Covid-19: A hospital-based case-control study
Authors: Ravikirti  , Ranjan Alok , Porel Rajdeep , Agarwal Ketan , Tahaseen SM , Shyama  , Kumar Anjani
Published: April 2022

Introduction
: This study was designed to test the hypothesis that exposure to ivermectin in early disease prevents mortality due to COVID-19. A secondary objective was to see if the drug has any impact on the length of hospital stay among the survivors.
Methods
It was a hospital-based retrospective case control Study conducted at a tertiary teaching hospital in India. All patients with a diagnosis of COVID-19 who were admitted between 1st April and 15th May 2021 and received inpatient care were included. Important variables like demographic details, dates of admission and discharge or death, symptoms at the time of admission, comorbidities, severity of illness at the time of admission, whether ivermectin was administered or not during the course of the illness and other treatments received as part of the standard of care were retrieved from the medical records.
Results
Of the 965 patients who received inpatient care, 307 died during their hospital stay while 658 were successfully discharged. The proportion of cases treated with ivermectin was 17.26% among the non-survivors (53/307) and 17.93% among the survivors (118/658). The effect was statistically insignificant (crude OR = 0.954 ;95% CI: 0.668–1.364, p = 0.80). Among the survivors, the median length of stay was 11 days for patients who received ivermectin (IQR: 7–15) as well as for those who did not (IQR 7–16).
Conclusion
This study did not show any effect of ivermectin on in-patient mortality in patients with COVID-19 and there was no effect of the drug on the length of hospital stay among the survivors.
Meta-analysis of the endocrine and metabolic effects of probiotics on polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: Xu Lian-Hua , Zhang Fang
Published: April 2022

Objective Systematic evaluation of the application of probiotics in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).Methods Computer searches of PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Medline, Embase, Ovid, CNKI, Wan Fang Data, and VIP databases were conducted to retrieve RCT studies on probiotics for the treatment of patients with PCOS from the time of database creation to March 2021. Meta-analysis was performed by two researchers after screening, extracting, and evaluating the literature using revman 5.3 software.Results A total of 13 studies were included, and the results of Meta-analysis showed that compared with the placebo group, probiotic supplementation increased sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and insulin sensitivity testing index (QUICKI) and decreased fasting insulin (INS), total testosterone (TT), insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR), fasting blood glucose (FPG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), triglyceride (TG), and total cholesterol (TC) levels in PCOS patients (P<0.05); there was no significant effect on deoxyepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C), and hyper-sensitive c-reactive protein (HS-CRP) levels in PCOS patients (P>0.05).Conclusions Probiotics may improve serum levels of endocrine and metabolism-related indicators in patients with PCOS, but further investigation and validation in large samples and high-quality RCT studies are needed.
HALAL LIFESTYLE DI INDONESIA
Authors: Adinugraha Hendri Hermawan , Sartika Mila
Published: April 2022

The purpose of this study is to describe the phenomenon of halal lifestyles in Indonesia, and to add insight of the Indonesian society about halal lifestyles in order to make it easier for them to choose Islamic lifestyle through halal lifestyle. This research method uses a literature research approach that is sourced from authoritative news and current journals which has high credibility to explain the phenomenon of halal lifestyle in Indonesia accurately. Based on the literature research that has been done it can be concluded that the increase of population and purchasing power of Muslims in the world can strengthen the halal lifestyles trend. The halal lifestyle is seen as a new lifestyle for the Muslim population in the world, especially the Muslim population in Indonesia. Even the concept of halal has been accepted by Muslims and non-Muslims, and gradually begins to become a lifestyle. Because the halal concept was universal which contained elements of benefit for all humans, halal was not only cover the needs of sharia, but is also a sustainability concept through all human activities seen from its lifestyle. The implications of the phenomenon of halal practices in Indonesia today were not only focused on the food sector, but has been spread to other sectors. Like halal tourism in Nusa Tenggara Barat and D.I. Aceh, halal cosmetics are pioneered by Wardah, a Sharia Hospital spearheaded by RSI. Sultan Agung Semarang, halal medicines initiated by herbal companies, halal modes promoted by Muslim hijabers and fashion designers, financial institutions pioneered by Bank Muamalat Indonesia, and so on. The halal lifestyles trend in Indonesia can also be seen from many animos of the media that preach about “halal lifestyles” such as halallifestyle.com, republika.co.id, ekonom.kompas.com, marketeers.com, mysalaam.com, and many seminar events that raised “halal lifestyle” theme.
ANALISA PERILAKU KONSUMSI PERSPEKTIF EKONOMI ISLAM PADA MASYARAKAT DESA SIDOKERTO, KECAMATAN BUDURAN, KABUPATEN SIDOARJO
Authors: Qoriani Hersa Farida
Published: April 2022

The purpose of this study is to determine the consumption patterns of the majority of the population of Sidokerto Village, Buduran Subdistrict, Sidoarjo and to find out the factors that influence the consumption behavior patterns of Sidokerto villagers, Buduran Subdistrict, Sidoarjo. This type of research is a qualitative study using a case study approach study. The results of the study show that it is undeniable that with the increasing economic conditions in the family, the consumption patterns of the family of Indonesian Migrant Workers (TKI) in Sidokerto Village, Buduran District, Sidoarjo will change. There is a difference in consumption patterns before and after a family member who becomes a TKI (Indonesian Worker) abroad is becoming more consumptive. Where before there were family members who became migrant workers income was only enough to meet their daily food needs. The principles of consumption in Islam include several things, namely: the principle of justice, the principle of lawfulness, the principle of cleanliness, moral principles, the principle of generosity

Keywords : Consumption, Sidokerto, Islamic Economics
EFEKTIVITAS PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE DAN PERSEPSI KUALITAS DALAM MENINGKATKAN MINAT BERZAKAT PELAKU UMKM TULUNGAGUNG
Authors: Shidiqy Dhiya'u , Nurhayati Wina
Published: April 2022

AbstractThis study is to determine the effect of product knowledge of zakat and perceptions of the quality of zakat on the interest in zakat. The population in this study were entrepreneurs who were members of FORKOM UMKM Tulungagung. There is also a sample measurement guideline using a saturated sample technique with a sample of 42 people. The research instrument for data collection in this study used a questionnaire with a Likert scale with data analysis techniques in this study, including descriptive statistical techniques, inferential statistical analysis with classical assumption tests, and hypothesis testing using the F test and t test with the SPSS 23 application. The t test in this study shows that product knowledge has no effect on respondents' interest in giving zakat. Perceptions of the quality of zakat are also proven to have no effect on respondents' interest in paying zakat. The results of the F test in this study also prove that simultaneously there is no effect of product knowledge on zakat and perceived quality on respondents' interest in zakat.Keywords: zakat, product knowledge, perceived quality, interest in zakat

Abstrak

Penelitian ini untuk mengetahui pengaruh pengetahuan produk (product knowledge) zakat dan persepsi kualitas zakat terhadap minat berzakat. Populasi pada penelitian ini adalah para pengusaha yang tergabung dalam FORKOM UMKM Tulungagung. Ada pun pedoman pengukuran sampel menggunakan teknik sampel jenuh dengan sampel sejumlah 42 orang. Instrumen penelitian untuk pengumpulan data dalam penelitian ini menggunakan kuesioner dengan skala likert dengn teknik analisis data pada penelitian ini antara lain dengan teknik statistik deskiptif, analisis statistik inferensial dengan uji asumsi klasik, serta pengujian hipotesis dengan uji F dan uji t dengan aplikasi SPSS 23. Hasil uji t pada penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa product knowledge tidak berpengaruh terhadap minat responden dalam berzakat. Persepsi tentang kualitas zakat juga terbukti tidak berpengaruh terhadap minat responden dalam membayar zakat. Hasil uji F pada penelitian ini juga membuktian bahwa secara simultan tidak ada pengaruh product knowledge zakat dan persepsi kualitas terhadap minat berzakat responden.

Kata kunci : zakat, product knowledge, persepsi kualitas, minat berzakat
Water quality of springs and lakes in the Kumaon Lesser Himalayan Region of Uttarakhand, India
Authors: Chhimwal Monika , Kaur Simran , Srivastava Rajeev Kumar , Hagare Dharma , Shiva Prasad Halkurike Jayadevaish
Published: April 2022

The scarcity of drinking water has become a bitter reality in many countries. The gap between demand and supply of water has been increasing exponentially year by year. Deforestation, vigorous use of groundwater for agricultural practices, and pollution of our present water resources such as rivers, lakes, and wells are triggering the freshwater scarcity problem. Ninety percent of people in Uttarakhand depend on springs for their daily life activities. In such a case, the quality and quantity of spring water should be a prime topic to be focussed on. In the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, spring water quality is good but there is an issue with its availability, especially in summer. This review paper details the studies that have been conducted on nutrient status, hardness, heavy metals, and the presence of microbiological diversity in spring water. It also uncovers information on some critical springs, geological settings of their aquifers, and the steps that have been adopted to rejuvenate the spring. Some other measures have been carried out by the government and local communities for springs’ revival and their improvement in discharge rate, including the construction of percolation pits, contour trenches, check dams, and improvement of water resources. It has been observed among the analyzed sample that the Kumaon region is dominated by arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and lead, whereas aluminum, barium, cobalt, and manganese are more in the Garhwal region. Apart from springs, this review paper also reveals the physicochemical characteristics of the spring-fed rivers and lakes of the Kumaon region.
Study on auxiliary operation control of machine learning in multiobjective complex drainage system
Authors: Li Pengcheng , Zhou Shihua , Cao Jing , Xu Wenzheng , Zhou Juanjuan
Published: April 2022

Recently, urban waterlogging prevention and treatment of black–odorous rivers have become a social concern and the upgradation of drainage system and the development of river runoff pollution control projects have accelerated. The use of deep tunnels to upgrade old drainage systems and achieve pollution control-related engineering designs has complicated the drainage system operation control. The traditional operation control mainly relies on human experience or model simulation. This study provides a perspective of machine learning for controlling the operation of the drainage system and exploring whether the operation suggestions regarding facilities in this system can be given in real time while relying only on real-time data and avoiding the complex model simulation process. Herein, five drainage systems were used as examples: the initial water level of a pipeline, key point water level flow, pump station front pool water level, and most unfavorable point water level were selected as relevant variables and four machine-learning discrimination methods were used for to analyze the weir-lowering operation of a deep tunnel. This study found that the average error rate of the linear discrimination method was <10%, thereby exhibiting satisfactory performance. This study provides insights for improving the operation of complex drainage systems.
Domestic water use and water-saving countermeasures in the process of urbanization in 2021: Jiaozuo City case study
Authors: Shi Lei , Liu Zhongzheng , Yang Liangyan , Fan Wangtao
Published: April 2022

Water-saving scientifically proved measures are crucial to reduce the use of decreasing fresh water resources. In this study, we investigate the current situation of residents’ domestic water use, analyze the current situation of residents' water-saving measures, the current situation of residents' water-saving consciousness and its influencing factors. We performed a questionnaire survey and data obtained by relevant water supply departments, this paper used SPSS 19.0 and Excel 2020 software to conduct statistical analysis of survey data. Our results show that: (1) overall, the water consumption of urban residents in the central plains suburb is 18% higher than that of the original urban residents. (2) Among the residential water structures, washing, washing clothes and flushing toilets are the most frequent tasks, accounting for 87.3% of the total water consumption. (3) The implementation of water-saving measures by the original urban residents is better than that of the original suburban residents. (4) It is necessary to increase effective water-saving facilities and measures for urban water use.
Characterization of a Novel Protease Inhibitor from the Edible MushroomAgaricus bisporus
Authors: Vishvakarma Reena , Mishra Abha
Published: April 2022

Background:

Protease inhibitors inhibit the activity of protease enzymes, hence are essentially involved in the regulation of the metabolic processes involving protease enzymes and protection the host organism against external damage due to proteases. These inhibitors are abundantly present in all living organisms but have not been much reported in mushrooms. Mushrooms are one of the major food components of humans with delicious taste and high nutritional value. Mushrooms also have therapeutic and economic significance. The edible mushrooms with medicinal properties are much in commercial demand. To date, the presence of protease inhibitors has not been reported much in edible mushrooms. The present study reports the characterization of a protease inhibitor isolated from the common white button mushroom Agaricus bisporus.

Objective:

The objective of the present study is to characterize the novel protease inhibitor from Agaricus bisporus to determine its nature and activity at varying environmental conditions.

Method:

The protease inhibitor was characterized through SDS PAGE, gel filtration chromatography, and de novo sequencing to determine its molecular mass, and sequence respectively. The optimum pH and temperature, and the pH and thermal stability were studied to determine the optimum working range of the protease inhibitor. The protease inhibitory activity (%) was determined in presence of metal ions, surfactants, oxidizing agents, and reducing agents. The kinetic parameters and the type of inhibition exhibited by the protease inhibitor were determined using casein and trypsin protease enzyme.

Results:

The protease inhibitor was found to be a low molecular mass compound of 25 kDa. The de novo sequencing matched the inhibitor against a 227 amino acid containing peptide molecular mass of 24.6 kDa molecular mass. The protease inhibitory activity (%) was found highest at pH 7.0 and temperature 50 0C, and was stable from pH 4.0-9.0 and temperature 30-80 0C. In presence of metal ions, the residual protease inhibitory activity (%) enhanced in presence of Na+, Mg2+, and Fe3+. The residual activity increased in presence of the surfactant SDS slightly in comparison to control, while decreased in the case of Triton-X and Tween 20. The presence of oxidizing agents, hydrogen peroxide, and dimethyl sulfoxide decreased the residual inhibitory activity. The protease inhibitor was unaffected by the reducing agents: dithiothreitol and β-mercaptoethanol up to 2mM concentration but decreased at higher concentrations. The inhibitor exhibited uncompetitive inhibition against trypsin with an inhibitory constant of 166 nM, indicating a strong affinity towards the protease, with a half-life of 93.90 minutes at 37 0C.

Conclusion:

Protease inhibitors isolated from mushrooms are generally small in size, more stable, and tolerant towards varying external conditions. The protease inhibitor isolated from Agaricus bisporus also exhibited similar characteristics.
Synthesis, Computational Study, and Anticonvulsant Activity of Newly Synthesized 2-aminobenzothiazole Derivatives
Authors: Mishra Arun Kumar , Singh Vachan , Kumar Arvind , Singh Harpreet
Published: April 2022

Background:

Despite the fact that anticonvulsant drugs targeting multiple targets have been used in the health center, their effectiveness and tolerability in the treatment of seizures have not improved much. As a result, innovative anticonvulsant medicines are still needed urgently to overcome the significant toxicity of currently existing medications.

Objective:

This study aimed to synthesize 2-aminobenzothiazole derivatives as anticonvulsant agents, compute physicochemical parameters, and conduct a docking investigation.

Methods:

Condensing 4-(2-(benzo[d]thiazole-2-ylamino) acetamido) benzoyl chloride with substituted phenols in acetone in anhydrous potassium carbonate in the presence of potassium iodide in dry acetone yielded benzothiazole derivatives. IR and NMR spectroscopy were used to characterize the structures of freshly synthesized substances. To estimate their drug-like candidates, a number of molecular attributes of these derivatives were computed. The carbonic anhydrase enzyme was used to perform molecular docking on these synthesized compounds. The synthetic compounds were tested for biological activity, such as anticonvulsant activity and enzyme inhibitor activity for carbonic anhydrase.

Results:

The findings showed that V-5 (4-chlorophenyl 4-(2-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-ylamino)acetamido)benzoate) had the strongest anticonvulsant effect out of all the eight target compounds.

Conclusion:

The outcome of this research was that V-5 could be a promising new lead molecule for the development of anticonvulsant drugs.
Artificial Intelligence in Pharmacovigilance and COVID-19
Authors: Bhardwaj Kamini , Alam Rabnoor , Pandeya Ajay , Sharma Pankaj Kumar
Published: April 2022

:

The history of pharmacovigilance started back 169 years ago with the death of a 15- year-old girl, Hannah greener. However, the Thalidomide incident of 1961 brought a sharp change in the pharmacovigilance process, with adverse drug reaction reporting being systematic, spontaneous, and regulated timely. Therefore, continuous monitoring of marketed drugs was essential to ensure the safety of public health. Any observed adverse drug reaction detected by signals was to be reported by the health profession. Moreover, signal detection became the primary goal of pharmacovigilance based on reported cases. Among various methods used for signal detection, the Spontaneous Reporting System was most widely preferred; although, it had the limitation of "under- reporting”. Gradually, the World Health Organization collaborating centre and “Uppsala Monitoring Centre” were established in 1978 for international monitoring of drugs. The centre was responsible for operating various databases like vigiflow, vigibase, vigilyze, and vigiaccess. Recently, huge data could be generated through spontaneous reporting linked with computational methods, such as Bayesian Framework, E-Synthesis.

:

Furthermore, drug safety surveillance at an early stage prior to the official alerts or regulatory changes was made possible through social media. In addition, India created a National Pharmacovigilance Program, and Schedule Y of the Drug and Cosmetic Act 1945 was reviewed and amended in 2005. The collaboration of Information Technology and Pharmaceutical Company can further enhance the awareness regarding artificial intelligence in pharmacovigilance, which was in its infancy until 2017. Artificial intelligence helps improve the quality and accuracy of information much quickly.