bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Legal Conflictology and Its Development
Authors: Tursunbaeva N.
Published: December 2021

The article considers legal conflictology as a relatively new scientific direction. The formation and development of legal conflictology in the Russian Federation and the Kyrgyz Republic are studied in the article. It was revealed that despite the extensive development of legal conflictology in the Russian Federation, in the Kyrgyz Republic so far this direction remains unexplored and is just beginning to take shape. The article substantiates the relevance of this direction with objective reasons and establishes the need to apply an interdisciplinary approach in the study of legal conflictology, where the theoretical and legal approach will be combined with sociological, philosophical and even psychological approaches. It is determined that research in the field of legal conflictology will allow to present an applied and theoretical interpretation of a wide range of issues on legal theory, therefore, such research on this topic should belong to one of its main directions. The term or legal category “legal conflict” is a reflection of a wide range of features of the essential process of interaction between the subjects of legal relations in crisis situations for them. The legal category of legal conflicts covers not only the legal conflicts themselves, but also mixed conflicts that begin at the beginning independently and outside of legal norms or relations, but subsequently acquire a legal character.
Participation of a Teacher and Psychologist in Criminal Procedure on Cases Against Minors
Authors: Savelyeva L.
Published: December 2021

The criminal process in cases involving minors has its own peculiarities, which is explained by the need to ensure the rights of minors. At the same time, the current legislation does not always have a systemic character; a number of norms contradict each other. The specifics of Russian criminal justice in cases involving minors is a ground for discussion among scientists and practitioners. One of the controversial issues is the mechanism for ensuring the participation of a teacher and a psychologist in criminal proceedings in cases involving minors. The author concludes that the rules for the participation of a teacher or psychologist in criminal proceedings should not differ depending on the procedural status of a minor (accused, victim, witness). When considering the status of a teacher and a psychologist, the author comes to the conclusion that it is inexpedient to identify them. The teacher should be recognized as an independent participant in the process on the part of the defense, and it is advisable to consider the psychologist as a specialist.
Results of use of polyacrylamide gel Noltrexsin in patients with different grades of gonarthrosis in outpatient practice
Authors: Kuznetsov V. I.
Published: December 2021

Introduction. Osteoarthritis of the knee joints is the most common joint disease affecting more than 80% of people over 55 years of age. The priority method for the treatment of gonarthrosis is the use of local injection therapy with the introduction of synovial ﬂuid endoprostheses based on hyaluronic acid, included in the Second Step of the ESCEO 2019 algorithm. Viscoelastic polyacrylamide gels for intra-articular administration since 2003 have also shown their high effciency in the symptomatic OA treatment. Since 2018, the new 3rd generation PAAG endoprosthesis of synovial ﬂuid, Noltrexsin, has been actively used.

Objective. To compare the efficacy and safety of Noltrexsin viscoprosthesis use with oral NSAIDs in patients with grade I-III of gonarthrosis.

Materials and methods. 40 patients with gonarthrosis participated in a comparative study of the effcacy and safety of injection therapy Noltrexsin 4.0 ml No. 2 (study group, А) and oral administration of NSAIDs 200 mg per day (comparison group, В). NSAIDs were taken in groups A and B, the duration of therapy in both groups was 1 month. The results were evaluated by standard examination methods, including measuring the range of motion in the joint and scoring of physical signs, tests with walking up the stairs and at a distance, VAS, WOMAC, Lequesne Index.

Results. In group А, a more signifcant reduction in pain according to VAS was revealed to 15–20 mm at the grade I–II of gonarthrosis and up to 25–30 mm in the grade III, a decrease in the Lequesne index to 1–2 and 3–4 points, respectively. In group В with a standard therapy, and then on-demand within 6 months, a decrease in VAS was revealed on the 8–9th day, and after 6 months the level of pain at the grade I–II did not exceed 20–25 mm, at the grade 3 it did not decrease below 40–45 mm. The Lequesne Index decreased to 2 points at the grade I–II and to 6–7 points at the grade III. Changes of WOMAC index correlated with VAS.

Conclusions. 1. Noltrexsin can be used as a safe endoprosthesis of synovial ﬂuid in the form of local injection therapy in patients with insufficient effect of chondroprotectors and NSAIDs. 2. Noltrexsin is recommended for use at all stages of arthrosis, as well as in comorbid patients.
Changes in methotrexate polyglutamate concentration in patients with rheumatoid arthritis during treatment and after discontinuation (review of two cases)
Authors: Gridneva G. I. , Aronova E. S. , Samarkina E. Yu.
Published: December 2021

Introduction. The dynamics of changes in the concentration of polyglutamates of methotrexate (MTPG) over the past 20 years has been studied by several scientifc groups using various methods. For a number of reasons, the results of these studies cannot be called uniform and cannot be confdently projected onto the Russian population of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). At the same time, therapeutic drug monitoring of methotrexate (MT) with clearly defned target values of metabolites could be an extremely useful tool in routine clinical practice.

Purpose of the study. To characterize the concentration of MTPG in dynamics during treatment and 12 weeks after discontinuation of MT.

Materials and methods. Two patients with early RA were traced 4, 12, 24 weeks after MT appointment, and also 12 weeks after its cancellation due to nausea that appeared during treatment. At each visit, an analysis was made for MTPG content by tandem gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Results. Against the background of treatment, the signifcantly predominant metabolite was MTPG with three and gour residues of glutamic acid (the so-called long-chain), while 12 weeks after discontinuation, MTPG 2 was the predominant fraction.

Conclusions. Low values of MTPG 3 and MTPG 4 with high values of MTPG 2 may indicate a recent initiation of treatment or MTB cancellation within the next 3 months. In the event of subjective adverse reactions (ADRs), it is advisable to consider the possibility of switching to a drug analogue of another manufacturer.
Psoriasis and pathological angiogenesis: pathogenetic signifcance and therapeutic perspectives
Authors: Pritulo O. A. , Petrov A. A.
Published: December 2021

The literature review presents data on the role of pathological angiogenesis in the development of psoriasis. Several recent studies have shown, in addition to cytokine imbalance and activation of the T-cell link of immunity, an important pathogenetic link is pathological vascularization. Vascular changes in the dermis appear before clinically visible skin manifestations and can persist for a long time after treatment, as well as the phenomena of neoangigenesis in the synovial membrane and enthesises contribute to the chronicization of inﬂammatory process in psoriatic arthritis. The article presents an overview of the modern literature on the main regulator of angiogenesis – vascular endothelial growth factor, its role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and possible therapeutic prospects.
Periarticular lesions as actual problem of general practice: modern possibilities of diagnosis and boosting effectiveness of treatment
Authors: Babaeva A. R. , Ansarova A. A. , Kalinina E. V. , Kostryukova I. V.
Published: December 2021

Background. Lesions of extra-articular soft tissues occupy a leading place in the structure of diseases of the musculoskeletal system in primary health care. At the same time, insuffcient attention is paid to this pathology, which leads to a decrease in the quality of care for patients with extra-articular pathology.

Objective. Increasing the awareness of general practitioners about the clinical forms of extra-articular soft tissue diseases, current approaches to diagnosis and treatment.

Basic provisions. The article presents the characteristics of the main forms of periarticular lesions: periarthritis, incl. painful shoulder, tendonitis, tenosynovitis, capsulitis, bursitis. The leading mechanisms of periarticular disorders are presented, the clinical picture and diagnostic signs of particular forms are described. The role of modern methods of visualization of periarticular lesions using ultrasound and MRI is noted. The main approaches to the drug therapy of periarticular disorders are presented, including use of slow-acting symptom-modifying drugs (SYSADOA). The authors present their own data demonstrating the connective tissue metabolism disturbance in periarticular disorders as well as the effectiveness of the drug Alﬂutop in the treatment of periarticular lesions of a ‘mechanical’ nature.

Conclusions. Primary forms of periarticular disorders are a consequence of microtraumatization and can be attributed to ‘mechanical’ types of damage. The ultrasound is pivotal in the diagnosis and evaluation the severity of the lesion and its origin. Biomarkers of connective tissue damage can be detected in the blood of patients with periarticular disorders. The treatment results can be improved with drugs from the SYSADOA group.
Recurrent Temporomandibular Joint Dislocation Due to Antiemetic Induced Acute Dystonia: A Case Report
Authors: Vural Nafis , Vural Emine
Published: December 2021

Introduction: Drug-induced acute dystonic reaction is a common presentation to emergency department. Oromandibular dystonia is one of the focal dystonias, which can be presented as jaw clenching, jaw opening or jaw deviation and leads to impaired speech and swallowing. In this paper, we presented an adult patient with recurrent temporomandibular joint dislocation due to metoclopramide use.
Case Report: A 21-year-old female patient came to the emergency department with the complaints of inability chew and swallow, difficulty in speaking, pain at right temporomandibular region that started a few hours ago. On physical examination, she was having dystonia of the right mandibular region and left posterior servikal region and no dystonia at other parts of the body. The patient was diagnosed with metoclopramide-induced acute dystonia. She was treated with intravenous anticholinergic.
Conclusion: Metoclopramide is an antiemetic drug that can cause serious adverse events such as acute dystonic reaction. Among these side effects are oromandibular dystonias, which may lead to TMJ dislocation. Physicians and other healthcare professionals working in the emergency department should be familiar with such side effects.
Unusual transorbital-penetrating intracranial injury by a metal bar: A case report
Authors: Kara Hasan , Bayır Aysegül , Değirmenci Selim , Seckın Oguz , Ak Ahmet
Published: December 2021

Introduction: The orbit has a fine bony structure and represents the most vulnerable structure in the cranium. Therefore, penetrating orbital injuries are often associated with traumatic brain injury. Although transorbital-penetrating intracranial injury is not commonly encountered in emergency medicine practice, this occurrence has the potential to cause severe and fatal brain injury.
Case Report: In this study, we report the case of a 21-year-old male patient presented with an injury to his left orbit, caused by falling while holding a metal bar. A Local examination revealed a perforating injury at the entry location of a metallic bar (S-shaped) that penetrated his left orbit. CT imaging showed the appearance of a metallic foreign body that entered anterior superior to the left orbit, passed into the left half of the frontal sinus, and extended into the intracranial area. The metallic bar was removed by craniotomy. The patient fully recovered and was discharged on postoperative 9th day.
Conclusion: The penetration of foreign bodies through the orbitofrontal region is rare but potentially life-threatening. An emergent surgical initiative is necessary to save the life of the patient. When managed in a timely and efficient manner, the associated mortality and morbidity can be reduced.
SPONTANEOUS CORONARY ARTERY DISSECTION IN THE LEFT MAIN CORONARY ARTERY: A CASE REPORT
Authors: Güzel Tuncay , Aktan Adem
Published: December 2021

Introduction: Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) can be defined as epicardial coronary artery dissection, which is not associated with trauma, atherosclerosis, or iatrogenesis. It is known that its incidence increases in the presence of some risk factors.
Case Report: We identified a young to middle-aged female patient with no risk factors other than a history of drug use, presenting with spontaneous left main coronary artery dissection, and undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention treatment due to high risk characteristics in this case report.
Conclusion: This differential diagnosis should be considered in young women presenting with ECG results suspected of myocardial infarction, along with typical chest pain even though the mean age of SCAD admission has been reported to be 43-52 years. Revascularization strategies should be preferred instead of conservative treatment in patients with high risk features such as ongoing ischemia, recurrent chest pain, left main coronary artery dissection, ventricular arrhythmias, or hemodynamic instability even though adequate and successful results are often obtained with the option of conservative treatment in the presence of SCAD.
The Mathematics of Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) Consistency
Authors: Sigalotti Leonardo Di G. , Klapp Jaime , Gesteira Moncho Gómez
Published: December 2021

Since its inception Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) has been widely employed as a numerical tool in different areas of science, engineering, and more recently in the animation of fluids for computer graphics applications. Although SPH is still in the process of experiencing continual theoretical and technical developments, the method has been improved over the years to overcome some shortcomings and deficiencies. Its widespread success is due to its simplicity, ease of implementation, and robustness in modeling complex systems. However, despite recent progress in consolidating its theoretical foundations, a long-standing key aspect of SPH is related to the loss of particle consistency, which affects its accuracy and convergence properties. In this paper, an overview of the mathematical aspects of the SPH consistency is presented with a focus on the most recent developments.
Multilocus Sequence Typing of Non-JP2 Serotype b Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans Strains of Ghanaian and Swedish Origin
Authors: Claesson Rolf , Johansson Anders , Höglund Åberg Carola , Esberg Anders , Haubek Dorte , Oscarsson Jan
Published: December 2021

Objective and Methods

The Gram-negative bacterium, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is associated with periodontitis affecting young individuals. The geographic dissemination of the highly leukotoxic JP2 genotype of serotype b of this species was previously studied by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Here, we have used MLST to genetically characterize non-JP2 genotype strains of serotype b, isolated from individuals living in Ghana (n=41), and in Sweden (n=13), respectively.

Results

The MLST analysis revealed a total of nine sequence types (ST). Both Ghanaian and Swedish isolates were distributed in ST 1-3. ST 5 and 6 were only identified among the Ghanaian strains, whereas ST 4, 7, 8 and 9 were uniquely represented among the Swedish strains. Previously, we characterized these non-JP2 genotype strains of A. actinomycetemcomitans serotype b by arbitrarily-primed (AP)-PCR, which distributed them into three groups, AP-PCR type 1, 2, and 3, respectively. AP-PCR type 1 strains are generally highly leukotoxic, and are associated with progression of periodontal attachment loss. As AP-PCR type 1 includes both JP2 genotype strains and a proportion of non-JP2 genotype strains of serotype b, a straightforward diagnostic procedure has been sought. This has revealed a gene, cagE, which appears to be conserved only in this AP-PCR type. According to our results, MLST was not a highly discriminatory method to identify AP-PCR type 1, as strains of this AP-PCR type could be found within three different ST: ST 2, ST 3 and ST 8.

Conclusion

According to MLST, a geographic dissemination of non-JP2 genotype A. actinomycetemcomitans serotype b appears to exist. However, aiming to identify carriers of AP-PCR type 1, non-JP2 genotype serotype b, PCR with cagE-specific primers is likely the most efficient diagnostic procedure known today.
Effect of Drug-Coated Balloon in Side Branch Protection for de novo Coronary Bifurcation Lesions: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Zheng Yawei , Li Jie , Wang Lingzhun , Yu Peng , Shi Haibo , Wu Lihua , Chen Jiandong
Published: December 2021

Background: At present, there are a variety of treatment strategies for percutaneous coronary intervention. The role of drug-coated balloon (DCB) in the treatment of side branch for de novo coronary bifurcated lesions (CBL) is unclear.

Objective: To examine the effect of DCB in side branch protection for de novo CBL.

Methods: Electronic databases, including Pubmed, Embase, the Web of science, Cochrance library, CNKI, CBM, WanFang Data and VIP were searched for studies that compared DCB with non-drug-coated balloon (NDCB) in side branch protection for de novo CBL from inception through July 7th, 2021. The primary outcome was target lesion revascularization (TLR). Secondary clinical outcomes included myocardial infarction (MI), cardiac death (CD). The angiographic outcomes included side branch late lumen loss (LLL), minimum lumen diameter (MLD), diameter stenosis (DS) and binary restenosis (BR). The target lesion failure (TLF) was also analyzed.

Results: A total of 10 studies, including 5 randomized controlled trials and 5 non-randomized observational studies, with 934 patients were included. Meta-analysis results of angiographic outcomes suggested that DCB group had the less LLL, DS and BR and the higher MLD compared with NDCB group at follow-up (P < 0.05). Meta-analysis results of clinical outcomes suggested that the significant difference in the TLR, MI and CD between DCB group and NDCB group has not been found yet (P > 0.05). However, the MACE of DCB group was significantly less than that of NDCB group at 9-month follow-up [OR = 0.21, 95%CI (0.05, 0.84), P = 0.03] and 12-month follow-up [OR = 0.45, 95%CI (0.22, 0.90), P = 0.02]. In addition, there was no significant difference in TLF between DCB group and NDCB group (P > 0.05).

Conclusions: DCB had great effect in side branch protection for de novo CBL at short and medium-term follow-up with no reduction in the procedural success rate.

Systematic Review Registration:https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=267426, PROSPERO [Identifier: CRD42021267426].
Transposition of Isolated Left Vertebral Artery in Hybrid Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair
Authors: Yang Guangmin , Chen Hongwei , Sun Guangxiao , Lou Wensheng , Chen Xin , Zhang Leiyang
Published: December 2021

Objectives: The aim of this study was to present our experience with the management of isolated left vertebral artery (ILVA) during complex thoracic aortic pathology treated with the hybrid thoracic endovascular aortic repair.

Methods: This is a single-center, respective cohort study. Between June 2016 and June 2020, 13 patients (12 men; median age 60 years old, range 42–72 years old) who underwent hybrid procedures were identified with ILVA in our center. Demographics, imaging features, operation details, and follow-up in these patients were collected and analyzed.

Results: In this study, all patients received the hybrid procedure, and the primary technical success rate was 100%. There were no in-hospital deaths. Complication occurred in two (15.4%) patients. One patient suffered from contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) and recovered before discharge. Another patient required reintervention for acute left-lower-limb ischemia, which was successfully treated using Fogarty catheter embolectomy. Immediate vagus/recurrent laryngeal never palsy, lymphocele, and chylothorax were not observed. The median duration of follow-up was 22 months (range, 13–29 months). No neurologic deficits, bypass occlusion, or ILVA occlusion or stenosis were observed during the follow-up. No aortic rupture, cerebrovascular accident, or spinal cord ischemia was observed during the follow-up period.

Conclusions: Our limited experience reveals that hybrid procedures [thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR), ILVA transposition, and left common carotid artery-left subclavian artery (LCCA-LSA) bypass] are relatively safe, feasible, and durable for the treatment of thoracic aortic pathology with ILVA. However, further technique durability and larger studies with long-term follow-up periods are warranted.
Shallow Compaction Modeling and Upscaling: A One-Dimensional Analytical Solution and Upscaling
Authors: Zhang Jingchen , Ma Jingsheng , Couples Gary D. , Osuji Nicholas Izuchukwu
Published: December 2021

Natural depositional processes frequently give rise to the heterogeneous multilayer system, which is often overlooked but essential for the simulation of a geological process. The sediments undergo the large-strain process in shallow depth and the small-strain process in deep depth. With the transform matrix and Laplace transformation, a new method of solving multilayer small-strain (Terzaghi) and large-strain (Gibson) consolidations is proposed. The results from this work match the numerical results and other analytical solutions well. According to the method of transform matrix which can consider the integral properties of multilayer consolidation, a relevant upscaling method is developed. This method is more effective than the normally used weighted average method. Correspondingly, the upscaling results indicate that the upscaled properties of a multilayer system vary in the consolidation process.
Tides and Volcanoes: A Historical Perspective
Authors: Sottili Gianluca , Lambert Sebastien , Palladino Danilo Mauro
Published: December 2021

In this paper, we examine the origins and the history of the hypothesis for an influence of tidal forces on volcanic activity. We believe that exploring this subject through a historical perspective may help geoscientists gain new insights in a field of research so closely connected with the contemporary scientific debate and often erroneously considered as a totally separated niche topic. The idea of an influence of the Moon and Sun on magmatic processes dates back to the Hellenistic world. However, it was only since the late 19thcentury, with the establishment of volcano observatories at Mt. Etna and Vesuvius allowing a systematic collection of observations with modern methods, that the “tidal controversy” opened one of the longest and most important debates in Earth Science. At the beginning of the 20thcentury, the controversy assumed a much more general significance, as the debate around the tidal influence on volcanism developed around the formulation of the first modern theories on the origins of volcanism, the structure of the Earth’s interior and the mechanisms for continental drift. During the same period, the first experimental evidence for the existence of the Earth tides by Hecker (Beobachtungen an Horizontalpendeln über die Deformation des Erdkörpers unter dem Einfluss von Sonne und MondVeröffentlichung des Königl, 1907, 32), and the Chamberlin–Moulton planetesimal hypothesis (proposed in 1905 by geologist Thomas Chrowder Chamberlin and astronomer Forest Ray Moulton) about the “tidal” origin of the Solar System, influenced and stimulated new researches on volcano-tides interactions, such as the first description of the “lava tide” at the Kilauea volcano by Thomas Augustus Jaggar in 1924. Surprisingly, this phase of gradual acceptance of the tidal hypothesis was followed by a period of lapse between 1930 to late 1960. A new era of stimulating and interesting speculations opened at the beginning of the seventies of the 20thcentury thanks to the discovery of the moonquakes revealed by the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Package. A few years later, in 1979, the intense volcanism on the Jupiter’s moon Io, discovered by the Voyager 1 mission, was explained by the tidal heating produced by the Io’s orbital eccentricity. In the last part of the paper, we discuss the major advances over the last decades and the new frontiers of this research topic, which traditionally bears on interdisciplinary contributions (e.g., from geosciences, physics, astronomy). We conclude that the present-day debate around the environmental crisis, characterized by a large collection of interconnected variables, stimulated a new field of research around the complex mechanisms of mutual interactions among orbital factors, Milankovitch Cycles, climate changes and volcanism.
Mid-Late Holocene Sub-Millennial Scale Inverse Trends of South Asian Summer and Winter Monsoons in Sri Lanka
Authors: Gayantha Kasun , Roberts Patrick , Routh Joyanto , Wedage Oshan , Ott Florian , Frenzel Peter , Chandrajith Rohana , Gleixner Gerd
Published: December 2021

The South Asian Monsoon (SAM) brings precipitation crucial for agriculture across the densely populated region of South Asia. Identifying the key long-term drivers of the SAM is essential to improve the predictability of future monsoonal trends in the context of current global climate scenarios and increasingly frequent drought and flooding events in this part of the world. Here, we reconstruct ∼6000 years of climatic and environmental history of the South Asian summer monsoon-fed Bolgoda South Lake and the Horton Plains, and the winter monsoon-fed Panama lagoon, in Sri Lanka to better understand monsoonal operation over this island and its connection to broader climate systems. Multiple proxies (diagnostic biomarkers, hydrogen and carbon isotopes of individual n-alkane, grain size, and Zr/Rb elemental ratio) indicate a sub-millennial scale decreasing trend of summer monsoon rainfall in the wet zone of Sri Lanka alongside an increasing trend of winter monsoon rainfall in the dry zone during the last ∼6000 years. We also observed multi-centennial scale arid events in the Bolgoda South Lake and Horton Plains records at ∼3,500 and ∼1,000 cal years BP. Inverse monsoonal behavior during the mid- and late Holocene seems to be led by the southward migration of the mean latitudinal position of ITCZ, induced by varying solar energy distribution between the Northern and Southern hemispheres due to Earth’s processional cycle. Our observations are broadly supported by existing paleoclimatic records from the Indian sub-continent, but abrupt arid phases are asynchronous in the regional records. In addition, these short-term arid conditions do not show systematic correlations with the different modes of climate variables known to have teleconnections with the Indian Ocean monsoon.
Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in Chinese Patients With Erythrodermic Psoriasis: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Ma An-ran , Liu Fang , Wang Runnan , Lin Lanmei , Wang Yilun , Li Qunyi , Lu Xiaonian , Du Juan
Published: December 2021

Erythroderma psoriasis (EP) is a rare and severe form of psoriasis, which is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that usually occurs simultaneously with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a significant precursor of CVD. This study was to investigate the association between EP and MetS in the Chinese population. We conducted a retrospective study on 86 consecutive patients with EP and 100 healthy controls from Huashan Hospital between 2013 and 2018. Demographic, biochemical parameters for MetS, and other relevant data including the severity of EP, family history of EP, age of onset, and treatment history involved in those individuals were recorded. The prevalence of MetS in erythrodermic psoriatic patients was 88.37%, which was significantly higher than that of controls (P < 0.0001). Erythrodermic psoriatic patients also had a higher prevalence of MetS components, including abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia and hypertension, whereas hyperglycemia was similar. Adjusted for confounding factors, MetS, abdominal obesity, hypertension, smoking and alcohol use were positive independent predictors of EP (odds ratio > 1, P < 0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve calculated from determined risk factors for predicting the EP’s incidence was 0.934 (95% CI 0.902-0.966). There was no correlation between the severity of EP and the prevalence of MetS. Compared with patients with mild EP, patients with moderate-to-severe EP had higher body mass index, waist circumstance and blood pressure (P < 0.05). We concluded that the prevalence of MetS and its components was higher in patients with EP. MetS an independent predictor of EP, which can favor CVD and should be encouraged to correct these cardiovascular risk factors aggressively for managing EP.
Combination of Endogenous Estradiol and Adipokine Leptin in Breast Cancer Risk and Prognosis Assessment in Postmenopausal Chinese Women
Authors: Luo Yang , Li Han-Bing , Zhang Yue , Wu Yu-Xin , Shen Di , Che Yi-Qun
Published: December 2021

Objective

Our study aims to clarify the role of estradiol and leptin in breast cancer risk and prognostic assessment in postmenopausal Chinese women.

Design

The serum circulating estradiol and leptin level was detected by ELISA. Then the correlation between estradiol, leptin level, and clinical characteristics was analyzed using Fisher’s exact test. Next, the Kaplan-Meier model was used to analyze the association between estradiol, leptin, and prognosis of postmenopausal breast cancer patients in our cohort and the TCGA dataset.

Setting

The study was conducted at the National Cancer Center, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and Peking Union Medical College.

Patients

A total of 182 postmenopausal breast cancer patients and 111 healthy subjects from January 2010 to August 2010 were included in the analysis. Another 702 cases with breast cancer were retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database for subsequent analysis.

Main Outcome Measure

Serum circulating estradiol and leptin level.

Results

The level of estradiol was significantly higher (P<0.001) but the level of leptin had no significant difference (P = 0.764) in postmenopausal breast cancer patients compared with healthy subjects. The level of estradiol and leptin was not significantly different between estrogen receptor (ER) positive and ER-negative groups (P>0.05). Estradiol was significantly correlated with tumor T stage (P = 0.002) and leptin was significantly associated with perineural invasion (P = 0.014). In addition, the disease-free survival of patients with a high level of estradiol was significantly shorter (P = 0.025) but leptin tended to be a protective factor for overall survival in TCGA analysis (P = 0.038).

Conclusion

Circulating estradiol and leptin played important roles in the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer even in low-estrogen nations with an independent expression of ER status. High circulating estradiol was a poor prognostic factor and leptin may be a protection signal in Chinese postmenopausal patients with breast cancer.
Do Bush Control Techniques Have an Effect on the Density, Cover and Recruitment of Woody Plants in a Semi-Arid Savanna? The Case of a Semi-Arid Savanna, Southern Ethiopia
Authors: Hare Malicha L. , Wang Yong D. , Xu Xin W. , Yuan You , Na Zhou , Gedda Abule E.
Published: December 2021

High bush density and cover have negative effects on the environment in general and on livestock production, in particular in savanna rangelands. The study examined the effects of bush control techniques on woody sapling recruitment in the low land savanna region. The study consisted of 21 plots located next to each other on an area of 5.3 ha encroached byAcacia melliferaandAcacia reficienstrees. Seven bush control treatments were assigned randomly to the plots and replicated three times. In the bush clearing plot, woody species were removed at ground level using a handsaw. In the tree thinning; thinning and grazing; thinning and browsing; thinning and fire, and thinning with fire-browsing treatments, trees were thinned to the equivalents of 60% of the density of that of the control plot. Positive changes in sapling densities were observed in the clearing, thinning, and thinning and grazing treatments. In contrast, the control, thinning and browsing, and thinning and fire treatments presented negative changes in densities. A change in sapling density was highest in the cleared plot, whereas it was lowest in the thinning, fire, and browsing treatment. The correlation between changes in sapling densities and new recruitments was highly (p < 0.001) significant in the clearing, thinning, and thinning and grazing treatments thus increased sapling recruitment with the proportion greater for the clearing treatment. The significant correlation induced average sapling recruitment in the control, and low in the thinning with browsing and thinning with fire treatments. The relationship was insignificant in the thinning, fire, and browsing combination treatment and resulted in the lowest rate of saplings’ recruitment. Postthinning techniques reduced woody tree recruitment and would sustain open savanna under the continuous management plan.
Fires in Amazonian Blackwater Floodplain Forests: Causes, Human Dimension, and Implications for Conservation
Authors: Carvalho Tayane Costa , Wittmann Florian , Piedade Maria Teresa Fernandez , Resende Angélica Faria de , Silva Thiago Sanna Freire , Schöngart Jochen
Published: December 2021

The Amazon basin is being increasingly affected by anthropogenic fires, however, most studies focus on the impact of fires on terrestrial upland forests and do not consider the vast, annually inundated floodplains along the large rivers. Among these, the nutrient-poor, blackwater floodplain forests (igapós) have been shown to be particularly susceptible to fires. In this study we analyzed a 35-year time series (1982/1983–2016/2017) of Landsat Thematic Mapper from the Jaú National Park (Central Amazonia) and its surroundings. Our overall objective was to identify and delineate fire scars in theigapófloodplains and relate the resulting time series of annual burned area to the presence of human populations and interannual variability of regional hydroclimatic factors. We estimated hydroclimatic parameters for the study region using ground-based instrumental data (maximum monthly temperature–Tmax, precipitation–P, maximum cumulative water deficit–MCWD, baseflow index–BFI, minimum water level–WLmin90of the major rivers) and large-scale climate anomalies (Oceanic Niño Index–ONI), considering the potential dry season of the non-flooded period of theigapófloodplains from September to February. Using a wetland mask, we identified 518,135 ha ofigapófloodplains in the study region, out of which 17,524 ha (3.4%) burned within the study period, distributed across 254 fire scars. About 79% of the fires occurred close to human settlements (<10 km distance), suggesting that human activities are the main source of ignition. Over 92.4% of the burned area is associated with El Niño events. Non-linear regression models indicate highly significant relationships (p< 0.001) with hydroclimatic parameters, positive withTmax(R2adj. = 0.83) and theONI(R2adj. = 0.74) and negative withP(R2adj. = 0.88),MCWD(R2adj. = 0.90),WLmin90(R2adj. = 0.61) andBFI(R2adj. = 0.80). Hydroclimatic conditions were of outstanding magnitude in particular during the El Niño event in 2015/2016, which was responsible for 42.8% of the total burned floodplain area. We discuss these results under a historical background of El Niño occurrences and a political, demographic, and socioeconomic panorama of the study region considering the past 400 years, suggesting that disturbance ofigapósby fires is not a recent phenomenon. Concluding remarks focus on current demands to increase the conservation to prevent and mitigate the impacts of fire in this vulnerable ecosystem.
Protein Function Prediction Based on PPI Networks: Network Reconstruction vs Edge Enrichment
Authors: Zhou Jiaogen , Xiong Wei , Wang Yang , Guan Jihong
Published: December 2021

Over the past decades, massive amounts of protein-protein interaction (PPI) data have been accumulated due to the advancement of high-throughput technologies, and but data quality issues (noise or incompleteness) of PPI have been still affecting protein function prediction accuracy based on PPI networks. Although two main strategies of network reconstruction and edge enrichment have been reported on the effectiveness of boosting the prediction performance in numerous literature studies, there still lack comparative studies of the performance differences between network reconstruction and edge enrichment. Inspired by the question, this study first uses three protein similarity metrics (local, global and sequence) for network reconstruction and edge enrichment in PPI networks, and then evaluates the performance differences of network reconstruction, edge enrichment and the original networks on two real PPI datasets. The experimental results demonstrate that edge enrichment work better than both network reconstruction and original networks. Moreover, for the edge enrichment of PPI networks, the sequence similarity outperformes both local and global similarity. In summary, our study can help biologists select suitable pre-processing schemes and achieve better protein function prediction for PPI networks.
Identification of Candidate Genes Associated With Hypoxia Tolerance in Trachinotus blochii Using Bulked Segregant Analysis and RNA-Seq
Authors: Liu Yifan , Jiang Tian , Chen Youming , Gu Yue , Song Feibiao , Sun Junlong , Luo Jian
Published: December 2021

Golden Pompano (Trachinotus blochii) has rapidly developed into the one of the main valuable fish species in Chinese marine aquaculture. Due to its rapid growth, active metabolism, and high oxygen consumption, hypoxia will increase its mortality and cause serious economic losses. We constructed two experimental groups of fish with different degrees of tolerance to hypoxia, used BSR-Seq analysis based on genome and genetic linkage groups to locate SNPs and genes that were related to the differences in hypoxia tolerance. The results showed that hypoxia tolerance SNPs of golden pompano may be jointly determined by multiple linkage groups, especially linkage groups 18 and 22. There were 768 and 348 candidate genes located in the candidate regions of the brain and liver, respectively. These genes were mainly involved in anaerobic energy metabolism, stress response, immune response, waste discharge, and cell death. The prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) on LG8, which is involved in the metabolism of arachidonic acid, has a G/A nonsynonymous mutation at position 20641628, and the encoded amino acid was changed from hydrophobic aspartic acid to asparaginate. The specific pathway of the RIG-I-like receptor signaling pathway in the liver may mediate the metabolic system and the immune system, linking glucose metabolism with immune regulation. The death of the hypoxia-intolerant group may be due to the accumulation of lactic acid caused by the activation of anaerobic glycolysis during the early stage of hypoxia stress, and the activation of type I interferon was inhibited, which resulted in decreased immunity. Among the genes involved in the RIG-I-like receptor signaling pathway, the CYLD Lysine 63 Deubiquitinase (CYLD) located on LG16 had a G/T nonsynonymous mutation at position 13629651, and the encoded amino acid was changed from alanine acid to valine. The interferon induced with helicase C domain 1 (Ifih1) located on LG18 has a G/C nonsynonymous mutation at position 16153700, and the encoded hydrophilic glycine was changed to hydrophobic alanine. Our findings suggest these SNPs may assist in the molecular breeding of hypoxia-tolerant golden pompano, and speculate that the balance of glucose and lipid metabolism plays a key role in Trachinotus blochii under acute hypoxia.
The State of Art of Extracellular Traps in Protozoan Infections (Review)
Authors: Zhang Jing , Sun Ying , Zheng Jingtong
Published: December 2021

Protozoan parasite infection causes severe diseases in humans and animals, leading to tremendous economic and medical pressure. Natural immunity is the first line of defence against parasitic infection. Currently, the role of natural host immunity in combatting parasitic infection is unclear, so further research on natural host immunity against parasites will provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of related parasitic diseases. Extracellular traps (ETs) are an important natural mechanism of immunity involving resistance to pathogens. When immune cells such as neutrophils and macrophages are stimulated by external pathogens, they release a fibrous network structure, consisting mainly of DNA and protein, that can capture and kill a variety of extracellular pathogenic microorganisms. In this review, we discuss the relevant recently reported data on ET formation induced by protozoan parasite infection, including the molecular mechanisms involved, and discuss the role of ETs in the occurrence and development of parasitic diseases.
What Function Do Platelets Play in Inflammation and Bacterial and Viral Infections?
Authors: Tokarz-Deptuła Beata , Palma Joanna , Baraniecki Łukasz , Stosik Michał , Kołacz Roman , Deptuła Wiesław
Published: December 2021

The article presents the function of platelets in inflammation as well as in bacterial and viral infections, which are the result of their reaction with the endovascular environment, including cells of damaged vascular endothelium and cells of the immune system. This role of platelets is conditioned by biologically active substances present in their granules and in their specific structures – EV (extracellular vesicles).
Adjunctive Probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus Probio-M9 Administration Enhances the Effect of Anti-PD-1 Antitumor Therapy via Restoring Antibiotic-Disrupted Gut Microbiota
Authors: Gao Guangqi , Ma Teng , Zhang Tao , Jin Hao , Li Yalin , Kwok Lai-Yu , Zhang Heping , Sun Zhihong
Published: December 2021

Emerging evidence supports that the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy is associated with the host’s gut microbiota, as prior antibiotic intake often leads to poor outcome and low responsiveness toward ICB treatment. Therefore, we hypothesized that the efficacy of ICB therapy like anti-programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) treatment required an intact host gut microbiota, and it was established that probiotics could enhance the recovery of gut microbiota disruption by external stimuli. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of the probiotics, Lactobacillus rhamnosus Probio-M9, on recovering antibiotic-disrupted gut microbiota and its impact on the outcome of ICB therapy in tumor-bearing mice. We first disrupted the mouse microbiota by antibiotics and then remediated the gut microbiota by probiotics or naturally. Tumor transplantation was then performed, followed by anti-PD-1-based antitumor therapy. Changes in the fecal metagenomes and the tumor suppression effect were monitored during different stages of the experiment. Our results showed that Probio-M9 synergized with ICB therapy, significantly improving tumor inhibition compared with groups not receiving the probiotic treatment (P < 0.05 at most time points). The synergistic effect was accompanied by effective restoration of antibiotic-disrupted fecal microbiome that was characterized by a drastically reduced Shannon diversity value and shifted composition of dominating taxa. Moreover, probiotic administration significantly increased the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria (e.g., Bifidobacterium pseudolongum, Parabacteroides distasonis, and some Bacteroides species; 0.0001 < P < 0.05). The gut microbiome changes were accompanied by mild reshaping of the functional metagenomes characterized by enrichment in sugar degradation and vitamin and amino acid synthesis pathways. Collectively, this study supported that probiotic administration could enhance the efficacy and responsiveness of anti-PD-1-based immunotherapy, and Probio-M9 could be a potential candidate of microbe-based synergistic tumor therapeutics. The preclinical data obtained here would support the design of future human clinical trials for further consolidating the current findings and for safety assessment of probiotic adjunctive treatment in ICB therapy.
Ncf1 Governs Immune Niches in the Lung to Mediate Pulmonary Inflammation in Mice
Authors: Li Mengyao , Zhang Wentao , Zhang Jing , Li Xiaowei , Zhang Fujun , Zhu Wenhua , Meng Liesu , Holmdahl Rikard , Lu Shemin
Published: December 2021

Neutrophil cytosolic factor 1 (Ncf1) is a major genetic factor associated with autoimmune diseases and has been identified as a key player in autoimmune mediated inflammation. We addressed the role ofNcf1in an antigen-induced pulmonary inflammation model, and found that theNcf1m1jmutation, causing a deficient reactive oxygen species response, alleviated disease. TheNcf1m1jmutation was associated with a reduced inflammatory cell infiltration in airways, but had limited effect on mucus secretion, antibody production and lung fibrosis. The disease remission in theNcf1mutated mice was reversed when functionalNcf1was transgenically expressed in alveolar macrophages, suggesting that the cellular inflammation was depended on functionalNcf1in alveolar macrophages. By determining cytokine and chemokine profiles in lung and serum, we found thatNcf1deficiency allowed an increased expression of Th1 cytokines, including TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-12. Since also epithelial cytokines were found to be regulated byNcf1, we tested the effect ofNcf1in IL-33 and IL-25 induced lung inflammation models. Mice with theNcf1m1jmutation showed less sensitivity to IL-33, but not IL-25, induced lung inflammation, in a macrophage independent manner. The mice with deficientNcf1showed a reduced eosinophil infiltration and group 2 innate lymphoid cell (ILC2) activation. The production of IFN-γ in CD4+T cells was increased, whereas IL-5 and IL-13 in ILC2 were decreased. Importantly, anti-IFN-γ antibody treatment ofNcf1deficient mice increased eosinophil infiltration and rescued ILC2 activation in the lung. We conclude thatNcf1deficiency enhances Th1 response, deactivates ILC2, and protects against pulmonitis.