bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Health-related quality of life and associations on socio-demographic and clinical factors in schizophrenia based on the QLICD-SC scale: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Rao Shuying , Liu Yuxi , Xian Junding , Lin Zhixiong , Wang Dandan , Xue Benli , Wan Chonghua
Published: September 2022

Purpose
This paper aimed at providing evidence for developing countermeasures to improve patients’ quality of life by using the scale Quality of Life Instruments for Chronic Diseases-Schizophrenia (V2.0)(QLICD-SC)), which is modular and sensitivity.
Methods
163 people who met the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia of the International Classification of Diseases(10th Revision) and were hospitalized at the Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University from May 2014 to December, 2015 were selected. Patients' clinical objective indexes, including blood routine, urine routine, blood biochemical examination, blood gas analysis etc. were collected by reviewing the medical records. Patients were assessed by the QLICD-SC (V2.0), a quality of life measurement scale for Schizophrenia. Simple correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation between the QLICD-SC (V2.0) scores and various clinical objective indicators, and multiple linear regression was used to further screen for correlates.
Results
There were 163 participants, ranging in age from 16 to 69, with a 30.67 ± 11.44 average age. The majority of them were men(57.1%), had a high school diploma(77.9%), and were married (65.6%). According to multiple linear regression, the variables included in the model are education, sex, eosinophilic granulocyte, hematocrit, percentage of monocytes, phosphorus (R2 = 0.065 ~ 0.222, P < 0.05).
Conclusion
Some clinical indicators such as hematocrit and socio-demographic factors may reflect alterations in the quality of life of individuals with schizophrenia.
Higher serum uric acid with a high eGFR is associated with decreased risk of low muscle strength in aged population: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Huang Yu Cheng , Chen Si Liang , Dong Ying , Shi Ying
Published: September 2022

Background
We aimed to investigate the interaction between serum uric acid levels with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) to low muscle strength (LMS) in a large Chinese elderly population.
Methods
Cohort data were obtained from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) in 2011 and 2015. Two thousand seven hundred forty-five community-dwelling older participants were enrolled for the follow-up. Serum uric acid was collected after 8 hours of fasting, and handgrip strength was measured with a dynamometer. eGFR was calculated with an equation based on the Chinese population. A generalized additive model was employed for interaction analysis and progressively adjusted confounders.
Results
In this study, we found that men with a low eGFR (<60 mL/min/1.73 m2) reported higher SUA levels (5.91 ± 1.27) and older (72.53 ± 6.38) than those who had a high eGFR while women share the same difference with a lower eGFR in higher SUA levels (5.00 ± 1.34) and older (72.81 ± 6.83). After progressively adjusting covariates, in females, the OR for higher eGFR with higher SUA level remained significantly with low muscle strength (OR=0.80 95%CI=0.68-0.95 P=0.0102). This correlation, however, was not observed in men.
Conclusions
This population-based cohort study in Chinese revealed that high serum uric acid level with higher eGFR seems to be significantly associated with a lower risk of low muscle strength in the elderly, especially in females.
Treatment burden for older people with multimorbidity: a cross-sectional study in China
Authors: Dou Liyuan , Jiang Qiuling , Duncan Polly , Li Xiaoping
Published: September 2022

Background
There has been little research in China about treatment burden. Studies internationally have found high treatment burden is associated with number of long-term conditions, low quality of life (QoL) iand poor medication adherence. The purpose of this study is to understand factors associated with high treatment burden for older people with multimorbidity in China.
Methods
A cross-sectional survey was conducted from February to May 2022. Through convenience sampling, 353 older people (≥ 60 years) with multimorbidity (≥ 2 long-term conditions) admitted to hospital in Zhengzhou, China, were invited to complete a survey including sociodemographic characteristics, long-term conditions and the Chinese version of Multimorbidity Treatment Burden Questionnaire (C-MTBQ). Ordinal logistic regression was used to identify the factors associated with high treatment burden.
Results
342 older people with multimorbidity participated (response rate 92.2%) among whom, the prevalence of no, low, medium, and high treatment burden was 1.2% (4/342), 13.9% (44/342), 49.1% (168/342), and 36.8% (126/342), respectively. Ordinal logistic regression analysis found high treatment burden was associated with age, monthly household income, type of medical insurance, and number of long-term conditions.
Conclusion
Most surveyed older people with multimorbidity experienced medium-to-high treatment burden. Policy makers and service providers should focus particularly on people at risk of higher treatment burden, namely older people with low income, New Rural Cooperative and high number of long-term conditions. Policy should be addressed to reduce health inequalities from different types of medical insurance.
The Antibiotic Resistance Rates in Multidrug Resistant Acinetobacter Isolates from Microbiological Culture Samples of Adult Patients in Turkey: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Tuna Duygu Kübra , Demirtas Hande
Published: September 2022

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Relationship and mechanism of gut microbiota and susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: An Yongcheng , Dai Hongyu , Duan Yuhui , Cheng Long , Shi Lu , He Changhao , Wang Chen , Lv YingLan , Li Huimin , Zhang Huilin , Huang Yan , Fu Wangxin , Sun Weiguang , Zhao Baosheng
Published: September 2022

Purpose
To investigate the relationship between the susceptibility to type 2 diabetes and gut microbiota and explore the potential mechanisms.
Methods
Thirty-two SPF SD rats were raised as the donor rats, and divided into control, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and Un-mod groups. Feces were collected and prepared as fecal bacteria supernatant A (T2DM group), B (Un-mod group) and Con (control group). Another seventy-nine SPF SD rats were separated into normal saline (NS) and ABX groups. ABX and NS groups were given antibiotics solution and normal saline, respectively. And then, the ABX group were randomly separated into the ABX1 (4-weeks ordinary diet), ABX2 (4-weeks HFD and STZ ip), FMT-A (fecal microbiota A transplantation, 4-weeks HFD and STZ ip), FMT-B (fecal microbiota B transplantation, 4-weeks HFD and STZ ip) and FMT-Con (normal fecal microbiota transplantation, 4-weeks HFD and STZ ip) groups. The NS group were randomly divided into the NS1 (4-weeks ordinary diet) and NS2 (4-weeks HFD and STZ ip) groups. The short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in feces were detected by gas chromatography using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. G protein-coupled receptor 41 (GPR41) and GPR43 were detected by Western blot and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.
Results
g__Ruminococcus_gnavus_group were increased obviously in the FMT-A group (vs ABX2 or FMT-B group). Blood glucose levels, serum insulin, total cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were evidently increased in the FMT-A group than ABX1 or ABX2 group. It was found that both the FMT-A and FMT-B groups had evidently higher contents of acetic acid and butyric acid (vs ABX2 group). In both FMT-A and FMT-B groups, GPR41 protein expression and GPR43 mRNA and protein expression increased.
Conclusions
G__Ruminococcus_gnavus_group may cause T2DM susceptibility, and T2DM susceptible flora transplantation can evidently increase the susceptibility to T2DM. It is possible that gut microbiota-SCFAs-GPR41/GPR43 play a role in the development of T2DM. A new treatment strategies and methods may be to develop pharmaceutical treatments that reduce blood glucose by controlling gut microbiota.
Evaluation and prediction of irrigation water quality of an agricultural district, SE Nigeria: an integrated heuristic GIS-based and machine learning approach
Authors: Omeka Michael Ekuru
Published: September 2022

Poor irrigation water quality can mar agricultural productivity. Appraising the irrigation water quality requires the computation of various conventional quality parameters which are often time-consuming and associated with errors during sub-index computation. It becomes critical therefore, to have a visual assessment of the irrigation water quality and identify the most influential water quality parameters for accurate prediction, management, and sustainability of irrigation water quality. The overlay weighted sum technique was used to generate the irrigation water quality (IWQ) map of the area. The map revealed that 72.5% of the area (within the southeastern parts) were suitable for irrigation while 28.4% (found in isolated traces) were unsuitable. Multilayer perceptron artificial neural networks (MLP-ANNs) and multiple linear regression models (MLR) were integrated and validated to predict the IWQ parameters using Cl−, HCO3−SO42−, NO3−, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, pH, EC, TH and TDS as input variables, and PI, MAR, SAR, PI, KR, SSP, and PS as output variables. The two models showed high performance accuracy based on the results of the coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.513–0.983). Low modeling errors were observed from results of the sum of square errors (SOSE), relative errors (RE), adjusted R-square (R2adj), and residual plots; further confirming the efficacy of the two models, although the MLP-ANNs showed higher prediction accuracy with respect toR2. Based on the sensitivity of the MLP-ANN model, HCO3, pH, SO4, EC, and Cl were identified to have the greatest influence on the irrigation water quality of the area. This study has shown that the integration of GIS and Machine Learning can serve as rapid decision tools for proper planning and enhanced agricultural productivity.
Groundwater chemistry and health hazard risk valuation of fluoride and nitrate enhanced groundwater from a semi-urban region of South India
Authors: Dhakate Ratnakar , More Shekhar , Duvva Laxman Kumar , Enjamuri Satyanarayana
Published: September 2022

Valuation of groundwater chemistry and its related health hazards risk for humans is a prerequisite remedial measure for human health. The semi-urban region in southern India was selected to measure the groundwater quality and interpret the human health risk valuation with deference to different age groups of adults and children through oral intake and skin contact of elevated concentration of fluoride (F−) and nitrate (NO3−) water in the absence of other alternatives. Water samples were collected from the semi-urban region for pre and post rainfall period and resolute its chemistry. However, F− concentration ranges 0.28 - to 5.48 mgL− and 0.21–4.43 mgL−; and NO3− concentration ranges 0.09 - to 897.28 mgL− and 0.0 - to 606.10 mgL− elevating the drinking standars of F− in 32% and 38% samples and of NO3− in 62% and 38% during pre and post rainfall seasons respectively. The fluoride-bearing minerals are the main sources of elevated concentration of F− and excessive use of nitrate fertilizers as the chief source of NO3− concentration in the aquifer regime. Water Quality Index (WQI) ranged from 18.3–233 and 12.97-219.14; 20% and 22% showed poor water quality for pre and post rainfall seasons with WQI = > 200. Piper plot suggests that 46% and 51% of samples signify carbonate water type (Ca2+- HCO\(_{3}^{ - }\)), and 32% and 28% of groundwater samples show Ca2+ + Na++ HCO3− type water for pre and post rainfall seasons respectively. Gibb's plot suggests the dominance of water-rock interaction in the aquifer system. Further, the principal component analysis (PCA) supported the same factors contributing to the elevated concentration of F− and NO3− in groundwater. The hazard quotient (HQ) through ingestion (HQing) and dermal (HQder) pathways of F− and NO3− was observed higher than its acceptable limit of 1.0 for different age groups indicating the non-carcinogenic effect on human health and effective strategic measures to be implemented in the area for improvement of human health conditions.
IFI30 Modulates Immune Microenvironment And Improves Prognosis In Glioblastoma
Authors: Huang Jianhuang , You Guiting , Song Jianhua , Xue Liang , Lin Caihou
Published: September 2022

Background
Immunotherapy has brought new hope as a potentially effective treatment for Glioblastoma (GBM).It is currently considered that an effective T cell immune strategy should improve antigen presentation and recognition and block T cell exhaustion. The main function of γ-interferon-inducible lysosomal thiol reductase (IFI30) is to promote antigen processing and presentation and enhance the anti-tumor effect of cytotoxic lymphocyte (CTL). However, the exact function of IFI30 in GBM development and progression is not yet known.
Methods
We used multiple public databases to explore the DNA methylation, mRNA transcription and protein expression of IFI30 in GBM, and tried to use the DNA methylation detection data of three cases of GBM to verify the above results. Subsequently, we analyzed the relationship between IFI30, WHO grade and GBM subtype, and studied the diagnostic and prognostic value of IFI30. Further, we combined with public databases to analyze the relationship between IFI30 and immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoints. Finally, we made functional predictions for IFI30 in GBM.
Results
In GBM, the mRNA transcription level and protein expression level of IFI30 were significantly higher than those in normal tissues. Although the methylation level of IFI30 promoter was decreased, it was significantly increased at local sites. We confirmed the above conclusion after analyzing the DNA methylation detection data of 3 cases of GBM, and found that cg26152923, cg07533630, and cg01485548 were the key prognostic loci after cross-validation. Subsequently, we found that IFI30 was strongly associated with higher WHO grade, MES subtype, and recurrence status of gliomas. At the same time, IFI30 also showed good diagnostic value (AUC = 0.987) and prognostic value. Further, we also found that IFI30 is positively correlated with CD8+ T cells, Treg and other immune cells, and also positively correlated with PD-1, CTLA-4 and other immune checkpoints. Finally, we found that IFI30 may function through Treg development, PPAR signaling pathway, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway and other mechanisms.
Conclusions
IFI30 could be an ideal diagnostic and prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for GBM.
Alpha-crystallins protect photoreceptors during retinal detachment through FAIM2 regulation
Authors: Besirli Cagri G. , Nath Madhu , Yao Jingyu , Pawar Mercy , Myers Angela M. , Zacks David , Fort Patrice E.
Published: September 2022

We evaluated the role of α-crystallin in photoreceptor survival in an experimental model of retinal detachment, and its association with Fas apoptosis inhibitory molecule 2 (FAIM2). Retina/RPE separation was induced in rat and mouse eyes by the subretinal injection of hyaluronic acid, 1%. Retinal tissues were analyzed for the presence αA-crystallin and αB-crystallin proteins using immunohistochemistry and immunoblot. Indices of photoreceptor death were analyzed using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining and cell counts. The 661W cells subjected to FasL were used as a cell model of photoreceptor degeneration to assess the mechanisms of the protective effect of αA-crystallin and its phosphorylation on T148. In addition to the associated cell-death, FAIM2 and αA-crystallin interaction were evaluated using co-immunoprecipitation assay. α-Crystallin protein levels were rapidly induced in response to retinal detachment, with αA-crystallin playing a particularly important role in protecting photoreceptors during retinal detachment. Our data also shows that FAIM2, an intrinsic neuroprotective protein in photoreceptors, interacts with α-crystallins following retinal detachment. Mechanistically, our work also demonstrated that the phosphorylation of αA-crystallin is essential for the interaction of αA-crystallin with FAIM2 and their neuroprotective effect. Thus, αA-crystallin is involved in the regulation of photoreceptor survival during retinal detachment, playing a key role in the stabilization of FAIM2, an important modulator of photoreceptor cell survival under chronic stress condition.
The impact of working in COVID-19 hospital on mental health and wellbeing: A qualitative study with nurses in a hospital in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia
Authors: Asa Gregorius Abanit , Fauk Nelsensius Klau , Ratu Melkianus , Ward Paul Russell
Published: September 2022

Background
The outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has impacted the lives of more than 580 million people worldwide and killed more than six million people globally. Nurses are one of the most impacted groups as they are at the frontline to fight against the virus and to save the life of everyone affected. The present study aimed to explore the impact of working in COVID-19 wards on mental health and wellbeing of nurses in the early stage of the pandemic in a hospital, in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia.
Methods
A qualitative study was conducted with 22 nurses. They were recruited using the purposive sampling technique. Data collection was conducted from April to May 2022 and data analysis was guided by a qualitative framework analysis.
Results
The findings show that nurses experienced a range of mental health impacts including fear of being infected and infecting loved ones; fear of early death; psychological distress related to the conflict between the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) and professionality and moral responsibility for patients; stress and worry due to public indifference and lack of role models; the negative impact of community doubt and distrust around COVID-19; and distress due to stigma and discrimination towards nurses caring for COVID-19 patients and their families.
Conclusions
The current findings indicate further psychological intervention programs to support nurses, especially the ones in resource poor settings and enhance their psychological resilience.
Global practical potential for metal–organic frameworks assisted atmosphere water harvesting
Authors: Wang Jiayun , Ying Wenjun , Hua Lingji , Zhang Hua , Wang Ruzhu
Published: September 2022

Nowadays, freshwater shortage remains a global challenge. Sorbent-assisted atmospheric water harvesting (SAWH) is a promising strategy for extracting atmospheric moisture to provide arid regions with potable water. As appropriate sorbents are crucial for efficient SAWH, many novel sorbents have been emerging in recent years. However, the lack of efficiency benchmarks prevents accurate evaluation of sorbents’ practical potential in SAWH system, thereby hindering location- and climate-specific sorbent selection. Herein, reliable models were established to analyze the global SAWH potential of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) in terms of practical water yields and energy requirements for passive and active SAWH respectively. Moreover, geospatial guidance of the efficient MOFs-assisted AWH deployment was provided based on a thermodynamic framework in combination with high-resolution global weather data throughout a year with seasonal climate variation. Applicable sorbent-assisted water harvesting strategies were then developed for six water-scarce regions. Overall, this study established benchmarks for location- and climate-specific adsorbents that will expand the application of sorbent-assisted water harvesting technologies in effective off-grid water-supply systems in water-scarce regions.
Transition of antimicrobial resistome in wastewater treatment plants: impact of process configuration, geographical location and season
Authors: Honda Ryo , Matsuura Norihisa , Hara-Yamamura Hiroe , Sorn Sovannlaksmy , Morinaga Yuta , Than Van Huy , Sabar Muhammad Adnan , Masakke Yalkhin , Asakura Sawako , Watanabe Toru
Published: September 2022

Wastewater is the major source of the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in water environment. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are the important barriers for preventing the spread of AMR in wastewater into water environment, as well as the reservoir of AMR, which can be potentially discharged into treatment effluent. In this study, the antimicrobial resistome in WWTP was investigated using systematic sampling and shotgun metagenomic analysis over a variety of geographical locations, seasons, and biological treatment configurations. The results revealed that the transition of antimicrobial resistome occurred at two locations during the course of wastewater treatment process to develop the distinctive antimicrobial resistome in influent wastewater, activated sludge, and treatment effluent regardless of the geographical locations of WWTPs. The antimicrobial resistome in influent wastewater was characterized by higher abundance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) resistant to clinically important drug classes, whereas sludge retained a higher abundance of multidrug ARGs associated with efflux pump. Seasonality was the primary factor to characterize the antimicrobial resistome in influent wastewater, which was partially succeeded to the subsequent resistome of activated sludge and treatment effluent. Importantly, antimicrobial resistome in the treatment effluent was dependent on process configuration of sludge separation. With conventional final sedimentation, antimicrobial resistome in the treatment effluent was partially affected by the resistome in influent wastewater, suggesting some ARGs in influent wastewater bypassed biological treatment and final sedimentation to be retained in the treatment effluent. On the contrary, the resistome of MBR effluent was independent from wastewater resistome, suggesting good reduction of ARG to clinically important drugs originated from influent wastewater.
Large-scale achromatic flat lens by light coherence optimization
Authors: Li Tao , Xiao Xingjian , Zhao Yunwei , Ye Xin , Chen Chen , Lu Xinmou , Rong Yansen , Deng Junhong , Li Guixin , Zhu Shining
Published: September 2022

Flat lenses, including metalens and diffractive lens, have attracted increasing attention due to their ability to miniaturize the imaging devices. However, realizing a large scale achromatic flat lens with high performance still remains a big challenge. Here, we developed a new framework in designing achromatic multi-level diffractive lenses by light coherence optimization, which enables the implementation of large-scale flat lenses under non-ideal conditions. As results, a series achromatic polymer lenses with diameter from 1 to 10 mm are successfully designed and fabricated. The subsequent optical characterizations substantially validate our theoretical framework and show relatively good performance of the centimeter-scale achromatic multi-level diffractive lenses with a super broad bandwidth in optical wavelengths (400-1100 nm). After comparing with conventional refractive lens, this achromatic lens shows significant advantages in white-light imaging performance, implying a new strategy in developing practical planar optical devices.
Diazotrophic bacterium Azotobacter vinelandii as a mutualistic growth promoter of an aquatic plant: Lemna minor
Authors: Shuvro Sajjad Kamal , Jog Rahul , Morikawa Masaaki
Published: September 2022

Lemnaceae plants, commonly referred to as duckweeds, are small planktonic terrestrial freshwater plants that live in symbiosis with various microbial communities. These plants are model platforms for the study of host-microbe interactions (Yamakawa et al. 2018). Azotobacter vinelandii are typical free-living nitrogen fixing soil bacteria that indirectly benefit plants by providing nitrogen compounds. In this study, Lemna minor RDSC 5512 and A. vinelandii ATCC 12837 = NBRC 13581 were co-cultured under gnotobiotic conditions. The growth of L. minor colonized by A. vinelandii accelerated in both nitrogen-containing and nitrogen-free water conditions. Moreover, L. minor elevated the nitrogen fixing activity of A. vinelandii. Lastly, the cell number of A. vinelandii on L. minor increased continuously over 30 d. These observations indicated that L. minor provides a favorable environment for A. vinelandii colonization, allowing them to mutually benefit and flourish through syntrophism.
Object-Based Classification of the veredas wetland macrohabitat using multispectral imagery from a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System.
Authors: Silva Nubia da , Ferreira Manuel Eduardo , Cunha Cátia Nunes da , Nunes Gustavo Manzon
Published: September 2022

Veredas are wetlands of relevant ecological and social value that may be closely related to the maintenance of the water regime of the springs. Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) have proved to be great allies in the space-time monitoring of wetlands. This study evaluates the effectiveness of multispectral sensors attached to an RPAS to discriminate habitats from paths through the Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA) approach. Multispectral camera overflights were performed on September 25, 2020 (dry) and January 28, 2021 (wet). Radiometrically corrected orthomosaics were generated with five spectral bands. Multiscale segmentations were applied, and later the classification by the OBIA approach through the classifier of the nearest neighbor, the results were post-processed by applying the algorithm of a class assignment. The classification separated the objects into 14 and 12 classes with an overall accuracy of 92.21% and 88.01% (kappa 0.92 and 0.87), for September and January, respectively. Among these, are the phytophysiognomies of Cerrado stricto sensu (surrounding) and Gallery forest (centralized), in addition to eight classes of habitats in the vereda. The multispectral sensor was sensitive to differentiate these habitats in the vereda and the occurrence of areas covered by the pteridophyte Dicranopteris flexuosa, its distribution, and physiological stages. The classification of two seasonal seasons made it possible to characterize the behavior of habitats according to water availability. The multispectral sensor on board the RPAS is a powerful tool to determine the diagnosis and management of wetlands, contributing to the establishment of public policies for the conservation of vereda environments.
Q fever and toxoplasmosis in South African livestock and wildlife: A retrospective study on seropositivity and sporadic abortion, and on stillbirth cases in livestock caused by Coxiella burnetii
Authors: Mangena Maruping L. , Gcebe Nomakorinte , Thompson Peter N. , Adesiyun Abiodun A.
Published: September 2022

Background: Q fever and toxoplasmosis are economically important zoonoses as they cause considerable losses in livestock through reproductive disorders such as abortions and stillbirths. Q fever and toxoplasmosis testing in South Africa is conducted by the Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Research (ARC-OVR). However, both zoonoses are understudied and not monitored in South Africa as they are not considered controlled or notifiable diseases in the Animal Disease Act 35 of 1984. A retrospective study was conducted on Q fever (2007-2009) and toxoplasmosis (2007-2017) using diagnostic laboratory data at the ARC-OVR. Also, we report on sporadic abortion and stillbirth cases in livestock from diagnostic tissue samples submitted for Coxiella burnetii polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection at the ARC-OVR.
Results: During 2007 to 2009, 766 animal samples were tested for C. burnetii antibodies and seropositivity was 0.9% (95%CI: 0.3-1.7) with sheep (1.9%; 95%CI: 0.6-4.4) having the highest seropositivity followed by cattle (0.7%; 95%CI: 0.09-2.6), while all goats (0.0%; 95%CI: 0.0-4.2) and wildlife (antelopes, giraffes, lions, and cheetahs) (0.0%; 95%CI: 0.0-2.5) tested were negative. From 2007 to 2017, 567 sera were tested for T. gondii antibodies; overall seropositivity was 12.2% (95%CI: 9.6-15). Wildlife (antelopes, giraffes, lions, and cheetahs) had highest seropositivity to T. gondii antibodies (13.9%; 95%CI: 9.0-19.7) followed by goats (12.9%; 95%CI: 9.2-17.4) and sheep (12.3%; 95%CI: 5.1-23.8) while seropositivity in cattle was 2.4% (95%CI: 0.06-12.9). Of 11 animals tested by C. burnetii PCR detection (2021-2022), 10 (91.0 %) tested positive by IS1111 PCR. The study confirmed the first presence of C. burnetii and T. gondii in various provinces of South Africa, which can pave pave way for future epidemiological studies
Conclusions: More studies on Q fever and toxoplasmosis are needed in different provinces of South Africa to be able to implement effective control measures for the two zoonoses. It is recommended that improvements in data collection on the samples tested should include associated factors such as sex, age, and breed of the animals.
Association between COVID-19 Risk-Mitigation Behaviors and Specific Mental Disorders in Youth
Authors: Conway Kevin P. , Bhardwaj Kriti , Michel Emmanuella , Paksarian Diana , Nikolaidis Aki , Kang Minji , Merikangas Kathleen R. , Milham Michael P.
Published: September 2022

Background: Although studies of adults show that pre-existing mental disorders increase risk for COVID-19 infection and severity, there is limited information about this association among youth. Mental disorders in general as well as specific types of disorders may influence their ability to comply with risk-mitigation strategies to reduce COVID-19 infection and transmission.
Methods: Youth compliance (rated as “Never,” “Sometimes,” “Often,” or “Very often/Always”) with risk mitigation was reported by parents on the CoRonavIruS Health Impact Survey (CRISIS) in January 2021. Responses were summarized using factor analysis of risk mitigation, and their associations with lifetime mental disorders (assessed via structured diagnostic interviews) were identified with linear regression analyses (adjusted for covariates). All analyses used R Project for Statistical Computing for Mac (v.4.0.5).
Results: A two-factor model was the best-fitting solution. Factor 1 (avoidance behaviors) included avoiding groups, indoor settings, and other peoples’ homes; avoidance was more likely among youth with any anxiety disorder (p=.01). Factor 2 (hygiene behaviors) included using hand sanitizer, washing hands, and maintaining social distance; practicing hygiene was less likely among youth with ADHD (combined type) (p=.02). Mask wearing, which did not load on either factor, was not associated with any mental health disorder.
Conclusion and Relevance: Findings suggest that education and monitoring of risk-mitigation strategies in certain subgroups of youth may reduce risk of exposure to COVID-19 and other contagious diseases. Additionally, they highlight the need for greater attention to vaccine prioritization for individuals with ADHD.
The first record of ingestion and inhalation of micro and mesoplastics by neotropical bats from the Brazilian Amazon
Authors: Correia Letícia Lima , Ribeiro-Brasil Danielle Regina Gomes , Garcia Magali , Santos Ana Beatriz Alencastre , Lucena Maria Dayanne Lima , Silva Daniela de Melo e , Vieira Thiago Bernardi
Published: September 2022

This study shows the abundance of contamination by plastic microfibers (PMs) and the first record of contamination by PMs in bats. Additionally, we tried to understand the mechanism of the environmental contamination of bats. Therefore, the digestive and respiratory tracts of 25 species of adult bats were extracted for analysis. Bats were captured in different locations in the Brazilian Amazon (Altamira, Bragança, Brasil Novo, Medicilândia, Nova Timboteua, Placas, Uruará and Vitória do Xingu, all in the state of Pará). The results showed that all species were contaminated with PMs in at least one of the analyzed systems. For the digestive system, the form of contamination occurs through bioaccumulation and biomagnification by the ingestion of contaminated food or water. While for the respiratory system, contamination occurs through the inhalation of PMs suspended in the atmospheric air. The different foraging characteristics of bats, the type of capture strategy for this food, and the type of habitat reinforce the idea that plastic contaminants are present in all environments.
Knowledge and Attitude of Dementia among Nursing Students in Nepal
Authors: Khatiwada Ranjana , Siman Lyu , Wang Haocheng , Bhandari Sushila Devi , Liu Yu
Published: September 2022

Background: Ageing is an important emerging demographic spectacle across the world. Therefore, the number of people with dementia is increasing every year as aging is an inevitable risk factor for dementia. An increasing number of people with dementia infers the necessity for a better quantity and quality of geriatric care services. Therefore, good knowledge and positive attitude regarding the dementia is expected in nursing students to deliver adequate quality care as they are the future primary health care professionals.
Purpose: This study aims to investigate the knowledge and attitude of Nepalese nursing studentstowards dementia.
Methods: A descriptive correlational research design was adopted for the study. The data was collected from Nepalese nursing students (n=177). Alzheimer’s Disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS) and Dementia Attitude Scale (DAS) were used to measure students’ knowledge and attitude of dementia and obtained data were analyzed by using descriptive methods.
Results: The overall mean score of ADKS was found 19.64 (SD=3.363) out of 30, and the total mean score on dementia attitude of DAS was 93.82 (SD=10.09) out of 140, where a positive relationship was remained between the knowledge score and the attitude scores (r = 0.148, P=0.050). Moreover, the domain of Assessment and Diagnosis (2.94±0.851, out of 4) was found to have the highest correct answers (94.9%), whereas the life impact domain with mean score (1.56±0.714, out of 3) revealed the lowest correct responses (50.8%).
Conclusion: This study concluded that the nursing students in Nepal demonstrate limited knowledge of dementia, while show positive attitude towards people with dementia. Moreover, findings of the study also demand the proper dementia care training and more clinical exposure for the nursing students to improve the knowledge ofdementia to be ready in their professional career.
A Novel Cuproptosis-Related Gene Model Predicts Outcomes and Treatment Responses in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Liu Qixian , Wu Huanwen
Published: September 2022

Background Cuproptosis is recently emerging as a hot spot in cancer research. However, its role in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) has not yet been clarified. This study aimed to explore the prognostic and therapeutic implications of cuproptosis-related genes in PAAD. Methods 213 PAAD samples from the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) were split into training and validation sets in the ratio of 7:3. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)-Cox regression analyses generated a prognostic model using the ICGC cohort for training (n = 152) and validation (n = 61). The model was externally tested on the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) (n = 80) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets (n = 176). The clinical characteristics, molecular mechanisms, immune landscape, and treatment responses in model-defined subgroups were explored. The expression of an independent prognostic geneTSC22D2was confirmed by public databases, real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), and western blot (WB). Results A prognostic model was established based on three cuproptosis-related genes (TSC22D2,C6orf136,PRKDC). Patients were stratified into the high- and low-risk groups using the risk score based on this model. PAAD patients in the high-risk group had a worse prognosis. The risk score was statistically significantly correlated with most clinicopathological characteristics. The risk score based on this model was an independent predictor of overall survival (OS) (HR = 10.7, p < 0.001), and was utilized to create a scoring nomogram with excellent prognostic value. High-risk patients had a higherTP53mutation rate and a superior response to multiple targeted therapies and chemotherapeutic drugs, but might obtain fewer benefits from immunotherapy. Moreover, elevatedTSC22D2expression was discovered to be an independent prognostic predictor for OS (p < 0.001). Data from public databases and our own experiments showed thatTSC22D2expression was significantly higher in pancreatic cancer tissues/cells compared to normal tissues/cells. Conclusion This novel model based on cuproptosis-related genes provided a robust biomarker for predicting the prognosis and treatment responses of PAAD. The potential roles and underlying mechanisms ofTSC22D2in PAAD need further explored.
Development and validation of focal adhesion-related genes signature in gastric cancer
Authors: Zhao Guanghui , Luo Tianqi , Liu Zexian , Li：lijj@sysucc Jianjun
Published: September 2022

Background
This study aims to construct a focal adhesion-related genes-based prognostic signature (FAS) to accurately predict the overall survival (OS) of patients with gastric cancer (GC) and to identify key prognostic genes related to GC.
Results
The gene expression data and corresponding clinical characteristics of GC patients were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Subsequently, the GEO dataset was randomly distributed into training and test cohorts. The TCGA dataset was used to validate the external cohort. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) Cox regression was used to detect OS-related genes in the GEO cohort. A risk score model was established according to the screened genes. A nomogram, based on the clinical characteristics and risk score, was generated to predict the prognosis of GC patients. A time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and calibration curve were applied to assess our newly formed model. The patients were grouped into a high- or low-risk group depending on the risk score. Low-risk patients exhibited higher OS than high-risk patients (entire cohort: p < 0.001; train cohort: p < 0.001, test cohort: p < 0.001). This study found that a high-risk score was associated with the circulatory system process and high infiltration of macrophages, CD44, and HLA-DMB.
Conclusions
The generated model based on the genetic characteristics of the focal adhesion prognostic gene can aid in the prognosis of GC patients in the future.
Extracorporeal Life Support Associated with Cardiac Procedures in Patients with Malignancy
Authors: Suzuki Yota , Carvalho Juliano Lentz , Mao Rui-Min D. , Iglesias Nicholas J , Shah Nikhil R. , DeAnda Abe , Radhakrishnan Ravi S.
Published: September 2022

Background With an aged population, cardiac surgery in oncologic patients is no longer uncommon. The use of postcardiotomy extracorporeal life support has increased, but its utility in oncologic patients is not clear. This study aims to define the role of postcardiotomy extracorporeal life support in patients with malignancy. Methods The Extracorporeal Life Support Organization registry was queried for patients older than 18 years with an International Classification of Diseases codes of hematologic and solid malignancy over the last decade (2010–2019). Among them, patients who underwent cardiac surgery or transcatheter valve intervention were selected. Outcomes and clinical data including types of procedure and cancer subtypes were analyzed. Results One hundred and sixty-two patients met inclusion criteria: 17 pulmonary support, 119 cardiac support, and 26 extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Sixty-two patients (38.3%) survived to discharge. Low survival was seen with hematologic (35.5%), soft tissue (25.0%) and breast malignancies (15.4%) though none of them were statistically significant. Coronary artery bypass grafting (n = 56) and surgical valve procedure (n = 54) were dominant types of procedures with a survival of 44.6% and 33.3%, respectively. Ventricular assist device procedure (n = 48) and cardiac transplant (n = 21) were also commonly performed with a survival of 37.5% and 33.3%, respectively. Conclusions Postcardiotomy extracorporeal life support in patients with malignancy was associated with a low but acceptable survival rate given the high mortality with postcardiotomy extracorporeal life support in the general population. The impact of a cancer diagnosis appeared to be small, but gathering a detailed history of cardiotoxic treatments could be crucial.
Early predictors of new-onset immune-related seizures: a preliminary study
Authors: Shi Xiangsong , Cai Weiwei , Zhang Xiulin , Pan Heyue , Huang Chengbing , Wang Shouyong , Xu Jianyang
Published: September 2022

Background: Approximately 60% of patients with autoimmune encephalitis (AE) exhibit secondary acute symptomatic seizures and showed highly sensitive to immunotherapy. However, it is difficult for many patients to receive early immunotherapy since the early identification of the cause in AE is more complex. This study aimed to investigate the early predictors of initial immune-related seizures and to guide the evaluation of treatment and prognosis.
Methods:One hundred and fifty-four patients with new-onset "unknown etiology" seizures with a course of disease less than 6 months were included. Serum and/or cerebrospinal fluid neuron-specific autoantibodies (NSAbs), including N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), α-amino-3-hydroxy-5- Methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid receptor 1 (AMPAR1), AMPAR2, anti-leucine rich glioma inactivated 1 antibody (LGI1), anti-gamma-aminobutyric acid type B receptor (GABABR), anti-contact protein-related protein-2 (CASPR2) were used to screen for immune etiology of the seizures. In addition, patients with epilepsy and encephalopathy were also examined via brain MRI, long-term video EEG, antibody prevalence in epilepsy and encephalopathy (APE2) score, and modified Rankin Scale (mRS). A logistic regression model was used to analyze the early predictors of immune etiology.
Results: Among all patients, 34 cases (22.1%) were positive for NSAbs. Of these 34, 23 cases of autoimmune encephalitis (AE) (21 cases of NSAbs positive), 2 cases of viral encephalitis, 1 case of ganglionic glioma (NSAbs positive), 128 cases of epilepsy or seizures (12 cases of NSAbs positive) were recorded. Also, there were 19 patients (12.3%) with APE2 ≥ 4 points and 17 patients (89.5%) in the AE group. The sensitivity and specificity of APE2 ≥ 4 points for predicting AE were 73.9% and 98.5%. The results of multivariate analysis showed that the NSAbs and APE2 scores independently influenced the early prediction of initial immune-related seizures (P < 0.05).
Conclusions: NSAbs and APE2 scores could act as early predictors of initial immune-related seizures.
Biohydrogen production from food waste using glucose-adapted hyperthermophilic archaeon
Authors: Lee Seong Hyuk , Lee Sunmin , Lee Sung-Mok , Cha Jaeho , Lee Hyun Sook , Kang Sung Gyun
Published: September 2022

Purpose
Glucose is one of the most important carbon and energy source for heterotrophic growth in all living organisms. However, glucose has been reported as a poor substrate to support the growth of hyperthermophilic archaea belonging to the order Thermococcales. To enhance glucose-assisted growth of Thermococcus onnurineus NA1, adaptive evolutionary engineering process was applied. In an effort for industrial applications, glucose-adapted cells were further tested for H2 producing potential using food processing waste as a promising zero-value substrate containing polysaccharides composed of glucose.
Methods
Adaptive evolution of T. onnurineus NA1 was performed by transferring cells to fresh medium containing glucose until cell growth increased. Genome sequencing was conducted to identify genetic changes in adapted cells. H2 production in the parent strain and glucose-adapted cells was analyzed using either glucose or potato peel waste as substrate.
Results
The glucose-adapted cells, WG-100T, had 10.8-fold and 14.7-fold increases in cell density and glucose consumption, respectively, compared to the parent strain. Genome sequencing of WG-100T revealed a total of 17 genomic changes in genes, including those encoding transcription factors and several proteins involved in various transport systems. WG-100T produced H2 using potato peel waste through simultaneous saccharification and fermentation.
Conclusion
This study showed that the performance of the Thermococcales strain was improved by adaptive evolution, resulting in faster use of glucose. In addition, it was shown that the use of a hyperthermophile made it possible to produce biohydrogen without pretreatment of food processing waste for saccharification.
A Blockchain-based Privacy-preserving and Access-control Framework for Electronic Health Records Management
Authors: Jakhar Amit Kumar , Singh Mrityunjay , Sharma Rohit , Sharma Aman
Published: September 2022

Healthcare data is crucial and sensitive because it contains information about a patient's medical history, treatments along with actions. This information is frequently shared among different stakeholders of the system. As patients’ information is vital, therefore, it must be kept accurate, up to date, secret, and available only to those who are authorized to access the specified information. Centralized systems are commonly used to maintain healthcare records which increases the security risk. Therefore, this study focuses on protecting the privacy and security of sensitive healthcare documents while sharing them across multiple healthcare participants. In this work, we proposed a privacy-preserving access control framework based on blockchain technology that uses consensus-driven decentralized data management on top of peer-to-peer distributed computing platforms to ensure the privacy, security, accessibility, and integrity of healthcare data. Blockchain technology helps to protect transactions from manipulation due to its irreversibility and immutability features. Furthermore, we comprehensively investigate the blockchain-enabled security requirements by including patients, doctors, chemists, and pathology labs as entities of the system that can share information through a proper channel. We have evaluated our proposed framework using Hyperledger Fabric and found that the developed framework reveals promising benefits in security, regulation compliance, reliability, flexibility, and accuracy.
Angiotensin II type 1a receptor deficiency alleviates muscle atrophy after denervation
Authors: Takayama Suguru , Inoue Kazuho , Ogura Yuji , Hoshino Seiko , Sugaya Takeshi , Ohata Keiichi , Kotake Hitoshi , Ichikawa Daisuke , Watanabe Minoru , Kimura Kenjiro , Shibagaki Yugo , Kamijo-Ikemori Atsuko
Published: September 2022

The study aim was to determine if suppressed activation of angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1) prevents severe muscle atrophy after denervation. The sciatic nerves in right and left inferior limbs were cut in AT1a knockout homo (AT1a−/−) male mice and wild-type (AT1a+/+) male mice. Muscle weight and cross-sectional areas of type IIb muscle fibers in gastrocnemius muscle decreased at 7 and 21 days postdenervation in both AT1a−/− mice and AT1a+/+ mice, and the reduction was significantly attenuated in the denervated muscles of AT1a−/− mice compared to the AT1a+/+mice. Gene expressions in the protein degradation system [two E3 ubiquitin ligases (muscle RING-finger protein-1 and Atrogin-1)] that were upregulated at 7days postdenervation in all denervated mice were significantly lower in AT1a−/− mice than in AT1a+/+mice. Activations of nuclear factor κB and Forkhead box subgroup O1 were significantly suppressed in the AT1a−/− mice compared with those in the AT1a+/+ mice. In addition, apoptosis pathway evaluated by gene expressions of Bcl-2-associated X protein and TUNEL staining was significantly suppressed in the AT1a−/− mice compared with that in the AT1a+/+ mice. In conclusion, the AT1 receptor deficiency retarded muscle atrophy after denervation via suppression ofthe protein degradation system and apoptosis.