bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Glycine-induced NMDA receptor internalization provides neuroprotection and preserves vasculature following ischemic stroke
Authors: Bergeron Richard , Cappelli Julia , Khacho Pamela , Wang Boyang , Sokolovski Alexandra , Bakkar Wafae , Raymond Sophie , Ahlskog Nina , Pitney Julian , Wu Junzheng , Chudalayandi Prakash , Wong Adrian
Published: June 2021

Ischemic stroke is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Compelling evidence demonstrates that following an ischemic event, neuronal death is triggered by uncontrolled glutamate release leading to overactivation of glutamate sensitive N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR). For gating, NMDARs require not only the binding of glutamate, but also the binding of glycine or a glycine-like compound as a co-agonist. Glycine fulfills several roles in biology including protein synthesis, inhibitory transmission via glycine receptor activation and excitatory transmission through NMDARs. Low glycine doses enhance NMDAR function while high doses trigger glycine-induced NMDAR internalization (GINI) in vitro. The physiological relevance of GINI has been questioned given that the high-affinity glycine transporter type 1 (GlyT1), located on astrocytes and neurons, maintains synaptic glycine concentrations far below the level that would saturate the glycine binding site (GBS). Here, we report that following an ischemic event, in vivo, GINI also occurs and provides neuroprotection. Mice pre-treated with a GlyT1 antagonist (GlyT1-A), which increases glycine synaptic levels, exhibited smaller stroke volume, reduced cell death, and minimized behavioural deficits following stroke induction by either photothrombosis or endothelin-1. Therefore, increasing glycine levels in the synaptic cleft will enhance GBS occupancy and will reach the set point to trigger GINI. However, we report that GINI is triggered during ischemic stroke, in vivo, only in the presence of GlyT1-As. Moreover, we show evidence that in ischemic conditions, GlyT1-As preserve the vasculature in the peri-infarct area. Therefore, the clinical efficacy of GlyT1-As should be tested for the treatment of ischemic stroke.
The epidemiology and outcome of burn injuries in Iran: A ten-year systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Mobayen Mohammadreza , Ghaffari Mohammad Ebrahim , Shahriari Fatemeh , Gholamrezaie Sepideh , Dogahe Zahra Haghani , Chakari-Khiavi Aref
Published: June 2021

Background: Burns, has always been one of the most catastrophic injuries. More than 3000000 people lose their lives every year due to burn and its results. Burn injury is the seventh major cause of disease burden of injuries in Iran. The evidence clearly shows that burns are preventable. It is necessary to update existing information and a more detailed assessment of burn aspects. Material-Method: Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Embase databases were searched for published studies from Jan. 2010 to Dec. 2020, with the MeSH term ‘Burns’ and keywords such as burn, burn injury, burn injuries, Iran, epidemiology, and epidemio* combined by OR; AND, for published retrospective studies that focus on the epidemiology of burns in Iran. Results: Our systematic search identified seventeen studies containing epidemiological characteristics of burn injuries in Iran with a total number of 61662 patients. Results revealed that: The highest and lowest percentage of the burn was related to the age group of 20-29 and 0-9 years and 50-59 years; men were burned more than women. The urban residents and the person under the diploma have experienced more burns; married and single people were equally burned; burns caused by flame occurred more than the other cause of burn; male and female were burned almost equally by flame; Contact and electrical burns in men were more than women; most burn accidents occurred at home and winter; 14/23 % patient were expired, and men were discharged more than women but the death rate was higher in women.Conclusion: We conclude that burn injuries are common indoors, caused by flames, and in young patients with a low educational state, and the overall mortality of female burn victims is more remarkable than male burn victims. On the other hand, the mean TBSA of burn patients in Iran was 31%, and the mean rate of mortality was 14%, both of which are greater than the statistics reported by WHO. This review shows that further research is required to summarize the situation and the effectiveness of any preventive interventions.
Understanding hesitancy towards vaccination against SARS-COV2 among Health professionals in Tunisia
Authors: Zammit Nawel , ElGuedr Amani , Brahem Aïcha , Ghammam Rim , Fredj Sihem Ben , Ayouni Imen , Sr Chaima , Chouchene Asma , Kalboussi Houda , ElMaalel Olfa , Chatti Souhaeil , Maatoug Jihene , Ghannem Hassen , Mrizak Néjib
Published: June 2021

Background: Since the end of 2019, the world was seriously upset by the emergence of the “COVID-19 disease. Vaccines that were authorized for emergency use in a wide range of countries brought a glimmer of hope. However, sufficient vaccination coverage is conditioned by the people’s acceptance of these vaccines especially by health professionals. Indeed, they represent the leaders of the current war against COVID-19. Several studies focused on this issue in developed countries. However, few were reported from developing ones including Tunisia.Objective: The current study aimed to estimate the prevalence and the predictors of hesitancy towards the vaccination against the SARS-COV2 among the Tunisian health professionals.Methods: A cross-sectional study was led online between the 7th and the 21th of January 2021 among Tunisian health professionals. A number of at least 460 participants was required. Snowball sampling method served to recruit participants. Data were collected using a pre-established and pre-tested questionnaire recorded in a free Google form. The link of the questionnaire was disseminated online to be self-administered anonymously to the participants. The generated online Google Sheet was uploaded and exported to SPSS software. Responses of non eligible participants were deleted before analysis.Results: Of the 546 responses, 493 were retained. The mean age was 37.4 (±9.5) years. Females represented 70.2% of participants. Social media represented the most frequently used source of information about SARS-COV2 (reported by 66.9% of participants). Prevalence of hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccination was 51.9% (95% CI: 47.5-56.3)). Fear of eventual harmful components in the upcoming vaccines, female gender and having its professional activity far from the capital predicted more hesitancy among participants. However, a history of previous infection by SARS-COV2 and the use of the official national site for information about COVID19 predicted less hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccination.Conclusions: An effective national information campaign is required to reduce hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccination among Tunisian Health professionals. More international solidarity would increase vaccine availability in developing countries such Tunisia and ensure therefore faster resolution of the current pandemic.
Using k-mer Embeddings Learned from a Skip-Gram Based Neural Network as Effective Feature Representation for Building a Cross-Species Prediction Model to Identify DNA N6-Methyladenine Sites in Plant Genomes
Authors: Trung Duong Nguyen Trinh , Trinh Van-Ngu , Le Nguyen Quoc Khanh , Ou Yu-Yen
Published: June 2021

Identification of DNA N6-methyladenine sites has been a very active topic of computational biology due to the unavailability of suitable methods to identify them accurately, especially in plants. Substantial results were obtained with a great effort put in extracting, heuristic searching, or fusing a diverse types of features, not to mention a feature selection step. We considered DNA, the human life book, as a book corpus for training DNA language models. K-mer embeddings then were generated from Skipgram neural networks and input into several ensemble tree-based algorithms. We trained the prediction model on Rosaceae genome dataset and performed a comprehensive test on 3 plant genome datasets. Our proposed method shows promising performance with AUC performance approaching an ideal value on Rosaceae dataset (0.99), a high score on Rice dataset (0.95) and improved performance on Rice dataset while enjoying an elegant, yet efficient feature extraction process.
The Food Additive Xanthan Gum Drives Adaptation of the Human Gut Microbiota
Authors: Martens Eric , Ostrowski Matthew , Rosa Sabina La , Kunath Benoit , Robertson Andrew , Pereira Gabriel , Hagan Live , Varghese Neha , Qiu Ling , Yao Tianming , Flint Gabrielle , Li James , McDonald Sean , Martin Duna , Pudlo Nicholas , Schnizlein Matthew , Brumer Harry , Schmidt Thomas , Terrapon Nicolas , Lombard Vincent , Henrissat Bernard , Hamaker Bruce , Eloe-Fadrosh Emiley , Tripathi Ashootosh , Young Vincent
Published: June 2021

The diets of industrialized countries reflect the increasing use of processed foods, often with the introduction of novel food additives. Xanthan gum is a complex polysaccharide with unique rheological properties that have established its use as a widespread stabilizer and thickening agent1. However, little is known about its direct interaction with the gut microbiota, which plays a central role in digestion of other, chemically-distinct dietary fiber polysaccharides. Here, we show that the ability to digest xanthan gum is surprisingly common in industrialized human gut microbiomes and appears to be contingent on the activity of a single bacterium that is a member of an uncultured bacterial genus in the family Ruminococcaceae. We used a combination of enrichment culture, multi-omics, and recombinant enzyme studies to identify and characterize a complete pathway in this uncultured bacterium for the degradation of xanthan gum. Our data reveal that this keystone degrader cleaves the xanthan gum backbone with a novel glycoside hydrolase family 5 (GH5) enzyme before processing the released oligosaccharides using additional enzymes. Surprisingly, some individuals harbor a Bacteroides species that is capable of consuming oligosaccharide products generated by the keystone Ruminococcaceae or a purified form of the GH5 enzyme. This Bacteroides symbiont is equipped with its own distinct enzymatic pathway to cross-feed on xanthan gum breakdown products, which still harbor the native linkage complexity in xanthan gum, but it cannot directly degrade the high molecular weight polymer. Thus, the introduction of a common food additive into the human diet in the past 50 years has promoted the establishment of a food chain involving at least two members of different phyla of gut bacteria.
Social Risk Factors Associated With Daily Tobacco Smoking and Binge Drinking Among Zambians: Evidence From the 2017 STEPS Survey
Authors: Silumbwe Adam , Sabastian Miguel San , Michelo Charles , Zulu Joseph Mumba , Johansson Klara
Published: June 2021

Background: The burden of disease attributable to tobacco smoking and harmful alcohol consumption poses a major threat to sustainable development in most low- and middle-income countries. However, evidence on tobacco use and harmful alcohol consumption to inform context-specific interventions addressing these harmful social behaviours is limited in the African context. This study aimed to determine the social risk factors associated with daily tobacco smoking and binge drinking in Zambia.Methods: The study stems from nationwide population-based representative survey data collected using the World Health Organization’s STEPwise approach for non-communicable disease risk factor surveillance in 2017 among 18–69-year-old Zambians. The main outcomes were daily tobacco smoking and binge drinking, and the demographic and socioeconomic variables included sex, marital status, age, residence, level of education and occupation. Prevalence ratios were calculated using log-binomial regression analysis.Results: Overall, 4302 individuals (weighted percentage 49.0% men and 51.0% women) participated in the survey. The prevalence of daily tobacco smoking was 9.04%, and 11.6% of participants engaged in binge drinking, both of which were higher among men than women (17.1% vs. 1.28% and 18.6% vs. 5.29%, respectively). The risk of daily tobacco smoking was significantly higher in men (PR 14.3; 95% CI [9.74, 21.0]) than women, in the >45-year-old group (PR 1.44; 95% CI [1.03, 1.99]) compared to the 18–29-year-old group, and in those with no education (PR 2.70; 95% CI [1.79, 2.99]) or primary education (PR 1.86; 95% CI [1.22, 2.83]) compared to those with higher secondary or tertiary education. The risk of binge drinking was 3.67 times higher (95% CI [2.83, 4.76]) in men than in women. Significantly lower levels of binge drinking were observed among rural residents (PR 0.59; 95% CI [0.46, 0.77]) compared to urban residents and students/homemakers (PR 0.58; 95% CI [0.35, 0.94]) compared to the employed.Conclusion: This study shows huge differences between men and women regarding tobacco smoking and binge drinking in Zambia. A high occurrence of tobacco smoking was observed among men, older members of society and those with lower levels of education, while binge drinking was more common in men and in those living in urban areas. There is a need to reshape and refine preventive and control interventions for tobacco smoking and binge drinking to target the most at-risk groups in the country.
Comparison Between Percutaneous Kyphoplasty And Percutaneous Vertebroplasty In Terms of The Efficacy For Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fractures: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Zhu Hai-Tao , Ding De-Gang , Wang Shui , Zhu Yu-Long
Published: June 2021

Background & Aim: Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) are acknowledged as common occurred fractures among humans, especially for the elderly population. The minimally invasive percutaneous methods such as kyphoplasty as well as vertebroplasty have been valid and effective tools in terms of reducing clinical problems, which are associated with more beneficial effects as compared to traditional methods such as open surgery or conservative treatment. Hence, we conducted the current meta-analysis in order to gather updated evidence available for the systematical assessment of the clinical and radiographic outcomes of VP in comparison of KP.Methods: Publications on comparison kyphoplasty versus vertebroplasty in treatment of OVCFs were collected. After rigorous and thorough review of quality, we extracted the data on the basis of eligible trials, which analyzed the summary hazard ratios (HRs) of the endpoints of interested.Results: Totally, our inclusion criteria involved five studies. 561subjects involving 334 patients received VP and 227 patients received KP were included, of which patients receiving KP or VP failed to show any significant differences in the visual analog scale (VAS) scores (MD =-0.02, 95% CI -0.40 – 0.35; P = 0.91),and the risk of cement leakage (OR =1.60, 95% CI 0.82 – 3.12; P = 0.17). Nevertheless, the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores (MD =-1.56, 95% CI -2.39 – -0.73; P = 0.0002), the injected cement volume (MD =-0.40, 95% CI -0.77 – -0.04; P = 0.03) and the operation time (MD =-9.67, 95% CI -11.55 – -7.80; P ＜0.00001) in VP group were linked to markedly lower trend in comparison of KP group with significant statistical difference.Conclusion: The present meta-analysis controls the acceptable level of the efficacy across the involved trials. The VP had ODI scores, the injected cement volume and the operation time exerted several advantages in this meta-analysis. Yet, VP failed to show benefits in terms of the VAS scores and cement leakage in comparison of KP therapy. Given the combined results of our study, the optimal treatment for patient harboring OVCFs should be determined by further high-quality and multi-center RCTs along with longer follow-ups as well as larger sample size.
In Vitro Impact Preliminary Assessment of Airborne Particulate from Metalworking and Woodworking Industries
Authors: Pavlovska Ilona , Ramata-Stunda Anna , Martinsone Zanna , Boroduskis Martins , Patetko Liene , Martinsone Inese , Seile Anita , Vanadzins Ivars
Published: June 2021

BackgroundInhalation is the main route of exposure to airborne pollutants. To evaluate the safety and assess the risks of occupational hazards different testing approaches are used. 3D airway epithelial tissues allow to mimic exposure conditions in vitro, generates human-relevant toxicology data, allows to elucidate mode of action of pollutants. ResultsGilian 3500 pumps equipped with Standard Midget Impingers were used to collect the airborne particulate from woodworking and metalworking environments. EpiAirway™ tissues were used to model half working day (4 h), full working day (8 h), and 3 working day exposures to occupational pollutants. Tissue viability was assessed using MTT assay. RT-qPCR analyses performed to analyze the expression of gelsolin, caspase-3, and IL-6. Tissue morphology was assessed by hematoxylin/eosin staining. Acute exposure to workspace pollutants slightly affected tissue viability and did not change the morphology. Both types of particles suppressed expression of gelsolin, with metalworking samples showing the most pronounced effect. A slight reduction in caspase-3 expression was observed. Particles from metalworking suppressed IL-6 expression. Conclusion3D Epithelial tissues can be used to model exposures to airborne pollutants. Exposure to particles from woodworking and metalworking had a minor effect on tissue viability but affected the expression of inflammation and apoptosis-related genes.
Fiscal Policy and Sustainability of Public Debt: The Nigerian Experience
Authors: IMOISI ANTHONY
Published: June 2021

This paper examines the relationship between fiscal policy and public debt sustainability in Nigeria within a multivariate framework from 1970–2019. The autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds test is employed to determine the long run relationship among the variables. The results of the ARDL test reveal that there is a long run relationship between the variables used in this study. Specifically, the result shows that budget deficit has a positive and significant impact on public debt both in the short run and long, while interest rate, real gross domestic product and inflation rate were statistically insignificant irrespective of the period and thus had no impact on public debt. Thus, it was recommended that the budgeting procedure at the federal and state levels in Nigeria need to reassessed to make sure that allocative efficiency is achieved in the budgeting system.
Enhancement of Breakdown Voltage in SOI MOSFET Using Buried p-Type Silicon
Authors: M Deivakani , M.G Sumithra , P Anitha , P Jenopaul , Gandhi Priyesh P. , venkatesan chandran , Cengiz Korhan
Published: June 2021

Semiconductor industry is still looking for the enhancement of breakdown voltage in Silicon on Insulator (SOI) Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MOSFET). Thus, in this paper, heavy n-type doping below the channel is proposed for SOI MOSFET. Simulation of SOI MOSFET is carried out using 2D TCAD physical simulator. In the conventional device, with no p-type doping is used at the bottom silicon layer. While, in proposed device, p-type doping of 1×1018 cm-3 is used. Physical models are used in the simulation to achieve realistic performance. The models are mobility model, impact ionization model and ohmic contact model. Using TCAD simulation, electron/hole current density, impact generation, recombination and breakdown phenomena are analyzed. It is found that the proposed with p-type doping of 1×1018 cm-3 for SOI MOSFET yields high breakdown voltage. In contrast to conventional device, 20% improvement in breakdown voltage is achieved for proposed device.
COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptability: A Cross-Sectional Mixed Methods Study in Sierra Leone
Authors: Sheku Mahmud , Clemens Ralf , Clemens Sue Ann Costa , Kangbai Jia Bainga , Kargbo Iynnah , Jusu Morison , Swaray Ibrahim Bob
Published: June 2021

Background
Global immunization is critical to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and the public's willingness to be vaccinated will determine the success of elimination efforts. We measured the acceptability of COVID-19 vaccine and views in Sierra Leone.
Results
Most survey respondents (80.1%, n = 1719) would accept COVID-19 vaccination for themselves and close family, but 19.9% (n = 427) would reject vaccination. If vaccination was mandatory the acceptance rate would increase to 85.0%, (n = 1,823), while 15.0% (n = 318) of responders would still reject. COVID-19 vaccine awareness was high among respondents (yes: 75.2% n = 1613, no: 24.8%, n = 533). Safety, immunity, and trust in vaccines were the main reasons for vaccine acceptance. Distrust, uncertainties about vaccine safety and effectiveness and lack of belief in the COVID-19 pandemic triggered through media reports were the main reasons for rejecting the COVID-19 vaccination. With respect to vaccine, a small majority would prefer a less reactogenic vaccine even at the cost of a lower efficacy over a more effective but more reactogenic vaccine (55.7%, n = 1195 vs 41.5%, n = 890) while 2.8% (n = 61) of respondents said they would reject any vaccine. Country of origin had an important role in vaccine acceptance: 32.4% (n = 1121) would accept a vaccine from any country if licensed locally, but 15.1% (n = 511) would reject vaccines even if licensed from China,12.6% (n = 437), India 11.4% (n = 393), USA 8.0% (n = 276), Germany 7.8% (n = 271), Russia 7.7% (n = 267), UK and 5.0% (n = 173) from Belgium.
Conclusion
Sensitizing the public about the COVID-19 infection risk, vaccine development processes and ensuring vaccine safety through continuous communication and community engagement, with community leaders leading by example as well as the independent role of regulatory authorities in safety and efficacy evaluation, would improve COVID-19 vaccine acceptance.
Ceramide From Sphingomyelin Hydrolysis Induces Neuronal Differentiation, Whereas De Novo Ceramide Synthesis And Sphingomyelin Hydrolysis Initiate Apoptosis After NGF Withdrawal In PC12 Cells
Authors: Kagan Terri , Stoyanova Gloria , Lockshin Richard A , Zakeri Zahra
Published: June 2021

Background: Ceramide, important for both neuronal differentiation and dedifferentiation, resides in several membranes, is synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondrial, and nuclear membranes, and can be further processed into glycosphingolipids or sphingomyelin. Ceramide may also be generated by hydrolysis of sphingomyelin by neutral or acidic sphingomyelinases in lysosomes and other membranes. Here we asked whether the differing functions of ceramide derived from different origins. Methods: We added NGF to PC12 cells and to TrkA cells. These latter overexpress NGF receptors and are partially activated to differentiate, whereas NGF is required for PC12 cells to differentiate. We differentiated synthesis from hydrolysis by the use of appropriate inhibitors. Results: When NGF is added, the kinetics and amounts of ceramide and sphingomyelin indicate that the ceramide comes primarily from hydrolysis but, when hydrolysis is inhibited, can also come from neosynthesis. When NGF is removed, the ceramide comes from both neosynthesis and hydrolysis. Conclusion: We conclude that the function of ceramide depends heavily on its intracellular location, and that further understanding of its function will depend on resolving its location during changes of cell status.
Reopen Schools Safely: Simulating COVID-19 Transmission on Campus With a Contact Network Agent-based Model
Authors: Liao Chuyao , Chen Xiang , Zhuo Li , Liu Yuan , Tao Haiyan
Published: June 2021

Background: As phases of COVID-19 vaccination are quickly rolling out, how to evaluate the vaccination effects and then make safe reopening plans has become a prime concern for local governments and school officials.Methods: We develop a contact network agent-based model (CN-ABM) to simulate on-campus disease transmission scenarios at the micro-scale. The CN-ABM establishes a contact network for each agent based on their daily activity pattern, evaluates the agent's health status change in different activity environments, and then simulates the epidemic curve on campus. Based on the developed model, we identify how different community risk levels, teaching modalities, and vaccination rates would shape the epidemic curve. Results: The results show that in scenarios where vaccination is not available, restricting on-campus students to under 50% can largely flatten the epi curve (peak value < 2%); and the best result (peak value < 1%) can be achieved by limiting on-campus students to less than 25%. In scenarios where vaccination is available, it is suggested to maintain a maximum of 75% on-campus students and a vaccination rate of at least 45% to suppress the curve (peak value < 2%); and the best result (peak value < 1%) can be achieved at a vaccination rate of 65%. The study also derives the transmission chain of infectious agents, which can be used to identify high-risk activity environments. Conclusions: The developed CN-ABM model can be employed to evaluate the health outcome of COVID-19 outbreaks on campus based on different disease transmission scenarios. It can assist local government and school officials with developing proactive intervention strategies to safely reopen schools.
Osteoprotegerin Expression and Serum Values in Obese Women with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Rashad Nearmeen M. , El-Shal Amal S. , Shalaby Sally M , Sarhan Walaa M , Abdel-Nour Hanim M.
Published: June 2021

Obesity and diabetes prevalence are increasing worldwide. We aimed by this work to detect the possible association of osteoprotegerin (OPG) gene expression with visceral adiposity indices and cardiometabolic risk factors among obese patients. This is research enrolled 150 controls and 150 obese cases subdivided into two subgroups non-diabetic (n = 70) and 80 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Circulating OPG expression levels were determined by RT-PCR. Serum OPG concentrations were assessed by ELISA.Our results explored that OPG serum levels were higher in the control group compared to obese women and obese diabetics had higher serum levels of OPG in comparison to obese non-diabetic patients. In obese group, regarding expression levels of OPG were higher than controls in diabetic obese patients, the blood expression levels of OPG were higher than non-diabetics patients. We found positive correlations between parameters of MetS and obesity indices, among them, the highest positive correlation found between VAI. After adjustment of the traditional risk factors, stepwise linear regression analysis test revealed that, OPG expression levels were independently correlated with HbA1c, HDL-cholesterol, and WHR. ROC analysis demonstrated that cutoff values of OPG expression levels and serum levels were 2.226 and 7.5; the AUC were 0.833 (95% CI = 0.821–0.946) and 0.981, respectively. Additionally, the sensitivities and the specificities of OPG expression were (90% and 86.2%), and OPG serum levels (98% and %94), respectively.OPG mRNA and serum levels are useful diagnostic biomarkers discriminate metabolic risk among obesity with or without T2DM.
Solar Energy Implementation At Household: Gaza Strip Case Study
Authors: El-Khozondar Hala J. , El-batta Fady
Published: June 2021

Background: Gaza Strip in Palestine is facing a major power deficiency problem due to local political situation. Thus, powering Gaza Strip without blockage whole day is a challenging task for decision maker. Lack of electrical power required inhabitants of Gaza Strip to implement solar energy systems to power their homes to replace or to complement the traditional sources of energy. To understand the success of solar system adoption at household in Gaza, authors built an electronic questionnaire. The dependent variable is chosen to be the adoption of energy and independent variables are environmental benefit, the cost of adoption of solar energy, and the market value of solar energy measured. The electronic questionnaire consists of two parts: part one consists of personal questions; second part is 22 items on a five- point Likert scale. The study sample consists of the 10% of the study population which are Al-Shifa Medical Complex employees (1819 employees). The electronic questionnaires are electronically circulated to the study sample. Then data is collected and analyzed using SPSS program. Results: The authors found that only 19.5% of the sample install solar energy systems on their houses. The results show that some factor including governorate in which employees are living, house ownership, total cost of energy/month, space to install the space to install the solar panels, and the desire to share the cost with neighbor unaffected the decision to use solar energy. Contrary, the type of house, knowledge of renewable energy impacted the decision. Conclusion: The adoption of solar energy in Gaza is limited. Type of house and knowledge of renewable energy are important to spread using of solar energy at houses in Gaza. Therefore, it is important to spread the knowledge of solar energy through universities by giving classes to all university students or by giving general lecture. To overcome the other two factors, the government should adopt the system and support the local inhabitants.
Identification of Potential Novel Pleiotropic Susceptibility Variants Common To Lumbar Spine Bone Mineral Density And Birth Weight
Authors: Song Yu-Qian , Hu Shi-Di , Lin Xu , Meng Xiang-He , Wang Xiao , Zhang Yin-Hua , Peng Cheng , Gong Rui , Xu Tao , Zhang Tong , Li Chen-Zhong , Pan Dao-Yan , Yang Jia-Yi , Greenbaum Jonathan , Shen Jie , Deng Hong-Wen
Published: June 2021

An increasing number of epidemiological studies have suggested that birth weight (BW) may be a determinant of bone health later in life, although the underlying genetic mechanism remains unclear. Here, we applied a pleiotropic conditional false discovery rate (cFDR) approach to the genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics for lumbar spine bone mineral density (LS BMD) and BW, aiming to identify novel susceptibility variants shared between these two traits. We detected 5 novel potential pleiotropic loci which are located at or near 7 different genes (NTAN1, PDXDC1, CACNA1G, JAG1, FAT1P1, CCDC170, ESR1), among which PDXDC1 and FAT1P1 have not previously been linked to these phenotypes. To partially validate the findings, we demonstrated that the expression of PDXDC1 was dramatically reduced in ovariectomized (OVX) mice in comparison with sham-operated (SHAM) mice in both the growth plate and trabecula bone. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry assay with serial sections showed that both osteoclasts and osteoblasts express PDXDC1, supporting its potential role in bone metabolism. In conclusion, our study provides insights into some shared genetic mechanisms for BMD and BW as well as a novel potential therapeutic target for the prevention of OP in the early stages of the disease development.
Guidelines For Reporting On Animal Faecal Transplantation (GRAFT) Studies: Recommendations From A Systematic Review of Murine Transplantation Protocols
Authors: Secombe Kate , Al-Qadami Ghanyah , Subramaniam Courtney , Bowen Joanne , Scott Jacqui , Sebille Ysabella Van , Snelson Matthew , Cowan Caitlin , Clarke Gerard , Gheorghe Cassandra , Cryan John , Wardill Hannah
Published: June 2021

Background/Objectives: Faecal microbiota transplant (FMT) is a powerful tool used to connect changes in gut microbial composition with a variety of disease states and pathologies. While FMT enables potential causal relationships to be identified, the experimental details reported in preclinical FMT protocols are highly inconsistent and/or incomplete. This limitation reflects a current lack of authoritative guidance on reporting standards which would facilitate replication efforts and ultimately reproducible science. We therefore systematically reviewed all FMT protocols used in mouse models with the goal of formulating recommendations on the reporting of preclinical FMT protocols. Methods: Search strategies were applied across three databases (PubMed, EMBASE and Ovid Medline) until June 30, 2020. Data related to donor attributes, stool collection, processing/storage, recipient preparation, administration and quality control were extracted.Results: A total of 1753 papers were identified, with 241 identified for data extraction and analysis. Of the papers included, 92.5% reported a positive outcome with FMT intervention. However, the vast majority of studies failed to address core methodological aspects including the use of anaerobic conditions (91.7% of papers lacked information), storage (49.4%), homogenisation (33.6%), concentration (31.5%), volume (19.9%) and administration route (5.3%). To address these reporting limitations, we developed the Guidelines for Reporting Animal Faecal Transplant (GRAFT) that guide reporting standards for preclinical FMT. Conclusion: The GRAFT recommendations will enable robust reporting of preclinical FMT design, and facilitate high quality peer review, improving the rigour and translation of knowledge gained through preclinical FMT studies.
Triglyceride-Glucose Index Associated With the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: the Kailuan Study
Authors: LIU Qian , CUI Haozhe , MA Yihan , HAN Xu , CAO Zhiwei , wu Yuntao
Published: June 2021

Purpose: Triglyceride-glucose index (TyG) index, as a marker of insulin resistance, have been associated with risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in older adults. Nevertheless, it is unclear to whether TyG index affects risk of CVD and the subtypes of CVD in general Chinese population. Methods: A total of 96541 participants who met the criteria were included from the Kailuan Study. The TyG index was calculated as ln (fasting triglyceride [mg/dL] × fasting glucose [mg/dL]/2). The study participants were divided into 4 groups (Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4) by quartiles of the TyG index. Incident of CVD events (myocardial infarction and stroke) during 2006-2017 were confirmed by review of medical records. The Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to assess the association TyG index with the risk of CVD and the subtypes of CVD by calculating the hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).Results: During a median 10.33 years of follow-up, we documented 6421 CVD events including 1493 myocardial infarction events and 5083 stroke events. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that compared with the participants in Q1 group, HR (95% CI) for CVD events were for Q2 group 1.12 (95%, 1.03-1.21), Q3 groups 1.28 (95%, 1.18-1.38), and Q4 groups 1.34 (95%, 1.23-1.45). We conducted time-dependent TyG index found compared with Q1 group, HR (95% CI) for CVD events were for Q2 group 1.09(95%, 1.02-1.18), Q3 groups 1.17(95%, 1.09-1.27), and Q4 groups 1.20 (95%, 1.11-1.30). We found similar results in myocardial infarction and stroke.Conclusions: The TyG index is an independent risk factor for CVD. The TyG index may be useful identifying individuals at high risk of developing CVD at an early stage, it can contribution to prevent and control of CVD.
Heavy Metal Accumulation Affects the Structure of Microorganisms and Increases Abundance of Resistance Genes in Rare Earth Mining Areas
Authors: Chen Minjie , Jiang Xiaoru , Mi Zhansheng , Li Yafei , Wang Zhe , Xu Xin , Zheng Chunli
Published: June 2021

Background

Environmental pollution from rare earth mining areas is of great concern, but the impact on microbial ecology and genomics has received little attention. In this study, the relationship between heavy metals and soil microbial community in the northern rare earth mining area was explored.
Methods

In order to study the detoxification mechanisms of heavy metals by microorganisms in this typical rare earth mining area, the study area was divided into three parts (mining area, residential area and control area). Analysis of microbial community diversity, structure and functional abundance using high-throughput sequencing techniques. Analysis of the effect of heavy metal pollution on the abundance of heavy metal resistance genes in soils of different regions using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR.
Results

The results showed that the heavy metal pollution rules: mining area > residential area > control area. Under the condition of long-term heavy metal pollution, the original microbial community composition was changed, and the species richness and evenness of soil in mining areas were higher than that in residential areas. The high-throughput sequencing analysis showed that existed metal-resistant microbial communities such as Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Korarchaeota and so on under the stress of heavy metal. High concentrations of heavy metals can inhibit the activities of catalase and sucrase. According to Tax4Fun function prediction analysis, heavy metal accumulation increased the ABC transporter protein in microbial function. The results of fluorescence quantification experiments also demonstrated that the abundance of heavy metal resistance genes, czcA, czcB, czcC and czcD, encoding ABC transporter proteins, increased with increasing heavy metal concentrations.
Conclusions

In conclusion, the accumulation of heavy metals not only changed the soil physicochemical properties and the microbial community structure, but also decreased soil enzyme activities and increased the abundance of resistance genes, which activated the detoxification mechanism of heavy metals. which provided a reference for future ecological remediation.
Burden of Chronic Kidney Disease and Its Risk-Attributable Burden in 137 Low-and Middle-Income Countries, 1990-2019: Results From The Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Authors: Ke Changrong , Liang Juanjuan , Liu Mi , Liu Shiwei , Wang Chunping
Published: June 2021

Background
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global public health concern, but its disease burden and risk-attributable burden in CKD has been poorly studied in low - and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study aimed to estimate CKD burden and risk-attributable burden in LMICs from 1990 to 2019.
Methods
Data were collected from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2019, which measure CKD burden using the years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) and estimate risk-attributable burden using population-attributable faction (PAF) from 1990 to 2019. The 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) were calculated and reported for YLDs, YLLs and DALYs.
Results
In 2019, the age-standardized YLL rate is much higher than the YLD rate in various income regions. LICs had the highest age-standardized DALY rate at 692.25 per 100,000 people (95%UI: 605.14 to 785.67), followed by Lower MICs. From 1990 to 2019, the age-standardized DALY rate showed a 13.70% reduction in LICs, 2.25% reduction Upper MICs but 3.72% rising in Lower MICs. Age-standardized YLD rate was higher in females than in males, whereas age-standardized rates of YLL and DALY of CKD were all higher in males than in females in globally and various income regions. Additionally, there were upward trends in the CKD-related age-specific YLD, YLL and DALY rates in various income regions. In 2019, kidney dysfunction, high systolic blood pressure, high fasting plasma glucose, and high body-mass index remained the major causes attributable age-standardized CKD DALYs. From 1990 to 2019, there were upward trends in the PAF contributions of high fasting plasma glucose, high systolic blood pressure, and high body-mass index. The greatest increase in the PAF was high body-mass index, especially in Lower MICs.
Conclusions
CKD burden remains high in various income regions, especially in MICs and Lower MICs. More effective and targeted preventive policies and interventions aimed at mitigating preventable CKD burden and addressing risk factors are urgently needed, particularly in geographies with high or increasing burden.
Development of Distance Cost Estimation Model for Health-Base on the Public official Information
Authors: Guo Siao-Jing , Yen Chia-Feng , Chen Hsing-Chu
Published: June 2021

Background: Health services accessibility indicators with high reliability, validity, high timeliness and easy policy application can help to understand the current situation of medical resource supply and demand in a region and assist the government to allocate resources more effectively. However, in terms of the development of related indicators, it is difficult to protect the privacy of the residence of medical users from large databases or medical records, and to obtain the transportation cost of the actual use of medical and health services. The purpose of this study was to develop a distance cost index based on the national public information about the disease prevalence rate and the population in the region to estimate the distance cost of actual service users. This index could take into account the privacy of the patient's residence and solve the limitation of using the national health insurance database in the past.Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study and used secondary data analysis by SPSS and QGIS. It was mainly divided into the Verification group and the Index development group to calculate the medical treatment distance. Their data source came from Medical Center actual records of patients with diabetes and high blood pressure during 2017-2019 as Verification group and prevalence from National Public Information as Index development group. Finally, the consistency of the two groups' medical treatment distance is compared to verify the accuracy of the index development group. Results: The estimated distances of the Index development group are high consistency (ICC>0.9) with the Verification group and after adjusting age and gender, there are also excellent R-square (98.1%, 92.7%). The disease cost for health care formula is developed by the present study with the prevalence and population from Public Information as an easy policy application and it can protect the privacy of patients in the further.
First Report of Eltrombopag Induced Severe Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia in the Management of Waldenström Macroglobulinemia-associated Autoimmune Thrombocytopenia
Authors: Shen Yingying , Ge Hangping , Ye Baodong , Zheng Zhiyin , Shao Keding , Zhou Yuhong , Shen Yiping , Wu Dijiong
Published: June 2021

Background: Autoimmune thrombocytopenia (ITP) and autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) can be observed in Waldenström Macroglobulinemia (WM). The cause of AIHA should be carefully distinguished during the disease management. Case Presentation: A 63-year-old female WM patient complicated with thrombocytopenia, who was admitted to our department with a complaint of abdominal pain. After first half of bortezomib/dexamethasone/rituximab (BRD) chemotherapy, her platelet level recovered, but subsequently decreased to extremely low level (around 1-2×109/L), and the patient suffered from platelet transfusion refractoriness. During the management of refractory thrombocytopenia, the patient developed severe hemolytic anemia, and further tests confirmed warm AIHA. FcγRIIα polymorphism test showed that the patient had FcγRIIα-131RH, which implied that the AIHA may not be WM-related. Given the effects of ibrutinib in controlling WM, ibrutinib single treatment was started, which quickly corrected the thrombocytopenia within five days, but not hemolysis. With a relatively safe platelet level, eltrombopag was stopped, and the hemolysis alleviated within three days after eltrombopag withdrawal. Conclusion: This is the first report on eltrombopag-induced AIHA, and we should always keep in mind of the drug induced hemolysis even in disorders with autoimmune background.
Levels and Distribution of Organophosphate Esters (OPEs) in Typical Megacity Wetland Park Landscape Water Bodies in Southwest China
Authors: Yin Hongling , Liu Liya , Liu Qin , Song Jiaojiao , Fang Shuhong , Liu Xiaowen
Published: June 2021

Human activities have led to the release of organophosphate esters (OPEs) into the environment. This study aims to investigate the levels and partitioning of OPEs in surface water, suspended particulate matter (SPM) and sediments of landscape waters across eleven parks in the city of Chengdu, a megacity in Southwest China. The average concentration of Σ6OPEs in the SPM samples (median: 2.94×103 ng/L, 6.88×104 ng/g dw) was 1-3 orders of magnitude higher than that in the surface water (median: 359 ng/L) and sediment (median: 82.8 ng/g) samples. Tri-n-butyl phosphate (TnBP), tris-(2-chloroethyl)-phosphate (TCEP) and trichloropropyl phosphate (TCIPP) were the primary OPE pollutants in the surface water and SPM samples, while TnBP, tris-(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBEP) and tris-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (TEHP) predominated the sediment samples. The higher log Koc values of OPEs in park landscape water bodies than other studies in the present study could be explained by the OPE properties (foc, Kow, degradability) and the environmental conditions (the input sources and the hydraulic retention time, etc.).
Induction of Remission in Chronic Urticaria by Immunotherapy Using Immunoglobulin/histamine Complex (HistobulinTM): A Case Report
Authors: Kim Hyuk Soon , Noh Geunwoong
Published: June 2021

Background: Symptom control is a major concern in chronic urticaria. HistobulinTM is a histamine/immunoglobulin complex and has been reported to be effective for chronic urticaria.Case Presentation: HistobulinTM was administered until remission was induced instead of fixing the number of administrations in four cases of chronic urticaria. Two patients showed an early response and finished treatment with 12 injections of Histobulin, and the other two patients showed a late response and were injected 43 times and 46 times. Remission was induced successfully in all four cases.Conclusions: HitobulinTM is not only effective but also induces remission in CSU. The HistobulinTM therapy protocol in CSU may be better if the treatment is continued until remission is achieved. Based on the responses of the patients, early responders and late responders were present. The progress of the disease during treatment consisted of a slow improvement phase and a rapid improvement phase. Uniquely, the appropriate allergy laboratory results, including blood eosinophil fraction, total IgE and eosinophil cationic protein level, were normal in all 4 cases. Further studies concerning the mechanisms of HistobulinTM may be needed.