bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of genital mycoplasma in pregnancies with shortened cervix
Authors: Rauh Maximilian , Werle Franziska , Schmidt Börge , Litzka Christian , Solano Maria Emilia , Köninger Angela
Published: June 2023

Objective
To determine whether colonization with genital mycoplasma species (spp.) in patients presenting with a shortened cervix before 34th week of pregnancy is associated with preterm birth.
Methods
The collective of this retrospective study consisted of 100 pregnant women who presented to a German Tertiary Perinatal Center between 2017 and 2020 due to a shortened cervix defined as a cervical length of 25 mm or shorter measured by transvaginal ultrasound before 34 weeks of gestation. At the time of admission gestational age ranged from 18+4 to 33+3 weeks (+days) of pregnancy. All patients underwent urine polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for genital mycoplasma (Ureaplasma (U.) urealyticum, U. parvum, M. hominis or M. genitalium). Patients who were tested positive underwent a therapy with macrolides (azithromycin or clarithromycin).
Results
37% of the patients were positive for Ureaplasma spp. whereas 5% (5 patients) were Mycoplasma spp positive. All the latter were simultaneously colonized with Ureaplasma spp.
Ureaplasma positive patients were significantly younger than those who were tested negative. Median maternal age at examination was 30 years (a) versus 31a (p=0.04). There was no difference between ureaplasma positive and negative patients regarding median maternal body-mass-index (BMI) (kg/m2) (23.4 versus 22.3, p=0.41), cervical length at admission (mm) (15 versus 17, p=0.17), gestational age at examination (days, d) (198 versus 197, p=0.97) or gestational age at birth (d) (250 versus 257, p=0.33), respectively.
Comparing U. parvum positive and U. urealyticum positive patients, there was some weak indication that U. parvum positive patients may get a shortening of the cervix earlier in pregnancy, as the median gestational age at examination was 196d versus 215d (p=0.06).
Regarding mycoplasma positive and negative patients, there was no difference in all examined parameters.
Conclusions
Overall, one third of all women in our study with a shortened cervix before 34th week of pregnancy were colonized with genital Mycoplasma spp. We were able to show that pregnant women, who were treated with antibiotics when tested-positive for genital mycoplasma, gave birth at the same gestational age as patients with a shortened cervix without detected mycoplasma. This raises the question of whether routine testing and early antibiotic treatment should be established in prenatal care.
Fully biodegradable self-healing hydrogel prepared based on poly(aspartic acid) and pectin for drug delivery and anti-tumor therapy
Authors: Jia Boyang , Sun Weichen , Duan Wenhao , Ma Xiangbo , Wang Yong , Qin Jianglei
Published: June 2023

With biocompatibility and biodegradability, self-healing hydrogels prepared from biopolymers show great advantages in bioengineering and bioscience as drug delivery carrier. In this research, the biodegradable hydrogel was constructed based on poly(amino acid) of poly(aspartic acid) (PAsp) and pectin for in vivo antitumor applications as DOX release carrier. The PAsp with hydrazide groups and isopropyl groups (PAPH) was synthesized by ring opening of the polysuccinimide (PSI) by isopropylamine and hydrazine, and used to fabricate fully biodegradable hydrogel with oxidized pectin (OPec) through dynamic covalent bonds cross-linking. The regulatable mechanical strength of the hydrogel could adapt its bioapplication, and the excellent biocompatibility ensured biosafety in biomedical areas. Furthermore, the pectin backbone and the PAsp endowed the hydrogel with biodegradability both by enzyme and in vivo. The PAPH/Opec hydrogel as DOX carrier reduced the in vivo toxicity of the DOX while the antitumor efficacy of the drug was well preserved. As a result, this biodegradable PAPH/Opec hydrogel could find show great potential as sustained drug delivery vehicle in biomedical areas.
Expanding the non-technical skills vocabulary of operating room nurses: A qualitative study
Authors: Sirevåg Irene , Tjoflåt Ingrid , Hansen Britt Sætre
Published: June 2023

Background
Operating room nurses have specialised technical- and non-technical skills and are essential members of the surgical team. The profession’s dependency of tacit knowledge has made their non-technical skills inaccessible to researchers, thus, creating limitations in the identification of the non-technical skills of operating room nurses. Non-technical skills are categorised in the crew resource management framework, and previously, non-technical skills of operating room nurses have been identified within the scope of the framework. The purpose of this study is to explore operating room nurses’ descriptions of their practices in search for non-technical skills not included in the crew resource management framework.
Methods
This study has a qualitative design. An expert panel of experienced operating room nurses (N = 96) in Norway provided qualitative descriptions of their practice in a Delphi survey. This study was conducted and reported in line with Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR).
Results
The inductive thematic analysis developed two themes, ‘Ethical caring’ and ‘Professional accountability’, that encompass operating room nurses’ novel descriptions of their non-technical skills. The participants take pride in having the patients’ best interest as their main objective even if this may threaten their position in the team.
Conclusions
This study has identified novel non-technical skills that are not described in the crew resource management framework. These findings will contribute to the development of a new behavioural marker system for the non-technical skills of operating room nurses. This system will facilitate verbalisation of tacit knowledge and contribute to an increased knowledge about the operating room nursing profession.
High incidence of AZF duplications in clan-structured Iranian populations detected through Y chromosome sequencing read depth analysis
Authors: Hajiesmaeil Mogge , Ravasini Francesco , Risi Flavia , Magnarini Giorgia , Olivieri Anna , D’Atanasio Eugenia , Galehdari Hamid , Trombetta Beniamino , Cruciani Fulvio
Published: June 2023

The ampliconic region of the human Y chromosome consists of large duplicated sequences that can undergo non-allelic homologous recombination (NAHR), resulting in structural rearrangements that may cause infertility, especially when they occur in the azoospermia factor b/c (AZFb/c) region. Although AZF duplications have long been neglected due to the technical limitations of STS-based studies that focused mainly on deletions, recent next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies provided evidence for their importance in fertility. In this study, a NGS read depth approach was used to detect AZFb/c rearrangements in 87 Iranians from different ethnic groups. The duplication frequency in Iran proved to be twice as high as in the "1000 Genomes" dataset. Interestingly, most duplications were found in patrilineal ethnic groups, possibly as a consequence of their lower male effective population size which can counteract negative selection. Moreover, we found a large 8.0 Mb duplication, resulting in a fourfold increase in the copy number of AZFc genes, which to our knowledge is the largest duplication ever reported in this region. Overall, our results suggest that it is important to consider not only AZF deletions but also duplications to investigate the causes of male infertility, especially in patrilineal clan-based populations.
Fully decoupled, linear and energy-preserving GSAV difference schemes for the nonlocal coupled sine-Gordon equations in multiple dimensions
Authors: Hu Dongdong , Kong Linghua , Cai Wenjun , Wang Yushun
Published: June 2023

In this paper, we intend to utilize the generalized scalar auxiliary variable (GSAV) approach proposed in recent paper [SIAM J. Numer. Anal., 60 (2022), 1905-1931] for the nonlocal coupled sine-Gordon equation to construct a class of fully decoupled, linear and second-order accurate energy-preserving scheme. The unconditional unique solvability and discrete energy conservation law of the proposed scheme are rigorously discussed, and the unconditional convergence is then proved by the mathematical induction. Particularly, the convergence analysis covers the proposed scheme in multiple dimensions due to the corresponding nonlinear terms satisfy the global Lipschitz continuity straightforwardly. Finally, time evolution of dynamical behaviour of the governing equation with different nonlocal parameters are observed, and ample numerical comparisons demonstrate that the proposed scheme enjoys the high efficiency in long-time computations.
Draft Genome Sequence of a Primate Isolate of Kazachstania pintolopesii
Authors: James Steve , Parker Aimee , Purse Catherine , Telatin Andrea , Baker David , Evans Rhiannon , Holmes Sandy , Funnell Simon G. P. , Carding Simon R
Published: June 2023

Kazachstania pintolopesii is an opportunistic mammalian pathobiont from the K. telluris species complex. No draft genomes of this species are currently available. Here, we report the first draft genome sequence of a primate isolate of K. pintolopesii (NCYC 4417).
Land degradation vulnerability (LDV) assessment using GIS–AHP in a semi-arid, watershed in South-Central India
Authors: Chatterjee Nirmalya , Rasheed Shamla , Naikodi Praveenkumar , Vijayan Divya V. , S. Sindhu , J. Poorna Bindu
Published: June 2023

Land degradation vulnerability (LDV) assessment was conducted using multiple landscape, soil and vegetation parameters in an agriculturally important watershed in hot, semi-arid central peninsular region of southern India. LDV assessment in such water-stressed agricultural areas are key to understanding seasonal productivity variations, and achieving sustainable land management while intensifying agriculture to impart local food security in the current climate change regime. Multiple legacy and remotely-sensed digital datasets were used to create a land degradation vulnerability index for the Kaulasa Nala catchment using the Analytic Heirarchical Process (AHP) framework. AHP was used to balance parameter-dependance of key landscape factors during assessment of land degradation vulnerability and productivity variations. The use of expert knowledge gathered from the field during agricultural extension work improved the overall efficacy of using the AHP framework.
The analysis indicates the importance of focusing on restoration and regenerative practices in land management to improve both general land productivity at catchment scales, as well as safeguard the current productive areas from further degradation due to coupled topography-climate driven degradative processes. In this study, upland erosion vulnerability contributes to seasonal productivity changes in fertile, down slope lowland. There is a clear indication of lowland foot slopes experiencing depositional processes suffering from productivity degradation, a case of topographic and proximity-induced land quality change. Thus, our study reiterates the importance of multi-scalar and multi-parametric land degradation analysis based on field knowledge for building agricultural resilience in the semi-arid tropics.
Unlocking the Potential of Electronic Health Records Systems in Tanzania: An Assessment of their Decision-Making Capabilities in Primary Healthcare Settings
Authors: Mwogosi Augustino , Mambile Cesilia , Shao Deo , Kibusi Stephen , Kapologwe Ntuli
Published: June 2023

This study investigated the current state of Electronic Health Records Systems (EHRS) in primary healthcare facilities in Tanzania. The study used a cross-sectional survey to collect data from healthcare professionals working in primary healthcare facilities in Tanzania's urban and rural areas. The survey found that EHRS could be more effective in providing reminders, warnings, and alerts. The majority of respondents reported that there are no consistent reminders for medical appointments or dosage warnings. EHRS vendors are urged to prioritize developing advanced clinical decision support features in their systems to improve patient outcomes. There is also a need to address the gaps in EHRS capabilities to enable better use of order sets in primary healthcare settings. This study provides valuable insights into the capabilities of EHRS in the Tanzanian context and can inform decision-making regarding the implementation and utilization of EHRS in other developing countries facing similar challenges. Ultimately, this study can enhance healthcare delivery and improve patient outcomes in Tanzania and other developing countries. The study had limitations, including a small sample size, limited stakeholder involvement, a cross-sectional survey design, and a focus solely on EHRS decision-making capabilities. However, the findings of this study are still valuable and can be used to improve the implementation of EHRS in Tanzania and other developing countries. The study's findings suggest that there is a need for EHRS vendors to prioritize the development of advanced clinical decision support features in their systems. There is also a need to address the gaps in EHRS capabilities to enable better use of order sets in primary healthcare settings. By addressing these challenges, EHRS can be used to improve the quality of care and patient outcomes in Tanzania and other developing countries.
ATR-FT-MIR Based Inline Analysis for Determination of Phytate in Plant Residuals During Wet-Treatment
Authors: Widderich Niklas , Bubenheim Paul , Liese Andreas
Published: June 2023

The availability of organically bound phosphorus (P) as phytate in plant-based feeding material is a challenge for livestock farming due to limited utilization during the digestion by the animal. Another issue is the following output into the environment as manure, due to increasing restrictions for nitrogen and phosphorus. As a solution, enzymes such as phytases are added in livestock farming to increase digestibility. However, the activation of intrinsic enzymes by wet-treatment of feeding material can also effectively reduce phytate content and can be applied prior to feeding. In this study, we report on a non-invasive method based on Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FT-MIR) and chemometrics for rapid quantification of residual phytate content during rye bran treatment; rye bran is used as an example for a plant-based feeding material. For model calibration, KH2PO4 was used as the internal standard, as phytate and its hydrolytic product ortho-phosphate experienced similar mid-infrared absorbance pattern. The residual phytate content after different treatment times was determined by applying a mass balance for P. The developed inline analysis is compared to standard offline analytical methods resulting in a RMSE of 6.2 mgphytate·100gbran-1. Thus, the developed method shows high accuracy and holds the potential for further applications for the screening and investigation of feed material conditioning prior to feeding.
An investigation into the influence of leaf species on the growth performance and oviposition preference of Aedes albopictus (Asian tiger mosquitoes) in Sri Lanka.
Authors: Nayakarathna Gayathri , Gunathilaka Kasun , Ganehiarachchi Mangala
Published: June 2023

Aedes albopictus is a container breeder which utilizes a wide range of water-holding containers for oviposition. The attraction of the gravid females to the oviposition site is based on several physical, chemical, and biological cues. Hence the primary objective of the study was to determine the individual and combined effects of Swietenia macrophylla, Pterospermum suberifolium, Carallia brachiata, and Azadirachta indica on the oviposition preference, larval mortality, larval duration, pupal duration and fecundity of Ae. albopictus. Microcosms were prepared with senescent leaves of the selected plant species and they were used for the tests. Accordingly, the number of eggs laid in A. indica leaf infusion was the lowest, while C. brachiata and P. suberifolium were the highest. Furthermore, the highest larval mortality, larval and pupal duration and lowest fecundity of the emerged adults were observed in A. indica. The leaf combination A. indica - C. brachiata (ND) showed the highest larval mortality and the lowest fecundity of the emerged adults, while the leaf combination S. macrophylla - A. indica - P. suberifolium (MNW) showed the highest larval and pupal durations. However, it can be postulated that A. indica leaf species hinders the growth performance and oviposition preference of Ae. albopictus.
Erich Arch Bars vs Intermaxillary Fixation Screws for Mandibular Fracture Reduction during ORIF: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Fernandes Ighor Andrade , Al-Moraissi Essam , Galvão Endi Lanza , Falci Saulo
Published: June 2023

Objective
This randomized clinical trial aimed to compare the efficacy of Erich Arch Bars (EAB) and Intermaxillary Fixation (IMF) Screws in reducing mandibular fractures during Open Reduction and Internal Fixation (ORIF).
Material and Methods
A total of 28 patients with mandibular fractures were randomly allocated to either the EAB group or the IMF screws group. The study evaluated various parameters including occlusal stability, complications duration of application, oral hygiene status, quality of life, and patient characteristics.
Results
The study found no significant differences in occlusal stability between the EAB and IMF screws groups. However, the application and removal times were longer for EAB compared to IMF screws. The EAB group showed a higher presence of biofilm on teeth, indicating poorer oral hygiene status compared to the IMF screws group. In terms of quality of life, patients in the EAB group reported worse results in the "handicap" domain at the 15th postoperative day. No significant differences were observed in other quality of life parameters. Patient characteristics were well-distributed between the two groups, enhancing the reliability of the results.
Conclusion
Both EAB and IMF screws demonstrated comparable occlusal stability for minimally displaced mandibular fractures. However, IMF screws offered advantages such as shorter application and removal times, better oral hygiene maintenance, and potentially improved quality of life in the "handicap" domain. Further studies with larger sample sizes are necessary to validate these findings and explore the stability of IMF methods in cases requiring postoperative malocclusion correction or prolonged IMF.
Clinical relevance:
When treating patients with minimally displaced mandibular fractures, both Erich Arch Bars (EAB) and Intermaxillary Fixation (IMF) screws can be considered as viable treatment options due to comparable occlusal stability outcomes. Clinicians can choose either method based on factors such as surgical preference and patient-specific considerations.
A Modified Deep Semantic Segmentation Model for Analysis of Whole Slide Skin Images
Authors: Asaf Muhammad Zeeshan , Rasul Hamid , Akram Muhammad Usman , Hina Tazeen , Rashid Tayyab , Shaukat Arslan
Published: June 2023

Automated segmentation of biomedical image has been recognized as an important step in computer-aided diagnosis systems for early detection of abnormalities. Despite its importance, the segmentation process remains an open challenge due to the indistinguishably of color, texture, shape diversity and boundaries. Semantic segmentation often requires deeper neural networks to achieve higher accuracy, making the segmentation model more complex and slower. Due to the need to process a large number of biomedical images, more efficient and cheaper image processing techniques for accurate segmentation are needed. In this article, we present a modified deep semantic segmentation model that utilizes the backbone of EfficientNetB3 along with UNet for reliable segmentation. To lighten the network, we use a balanced approach for the depth and width, and 10x magnification images are used from the Queensland dataset. We train our model to divide the image in 12 different classes for segmentation. Our method outperforms the existing literature with an increase in average class accuracy from 79\% to 83\%. Our approach also shows an increase in overall accuracy from 85\% to 94\%.
Self-removal of Catheter after Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy – A Feasibility Study
Authors: Chedid Wissam Abou , Carbin Danny Darlington , Innes Maria , Casson Helen , Broe Mark , Hossain Mohammad , Fragkoulis Gerasimos , Whiting Danielle , Adamou Constantinos , Kusuma Murthy , Moschonas Dimitrios , Hicks James , Patil Krishna , Eden Christopher , Perry Matthew James Alexander
Published: June 2023

Objectives
Self-removal of urinary catheter as an option after Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy (RARP) has never been explored in literature. We report the feasibility and outcome of the first study of this novel concept in our hospital.
Patients and Methods
We conducted a prospective audit of self-TWOC (trial without catheter) in men who underwent consecutive RARP in our centre between April 2022 and September 2022. Men who had self-TWOC filled a questionnaire about the outcomes of self-TWOC. Carbon footprint and carbon offset for each hospital TWOC avoided were calculated.
Results
Of the 129 who underwent self-TWOC, 112 filled the questionnaire and were hence included in the final analysis. Self-TWOC was successful in all the 112 (100%) men in the study. 99.1% of men were satisfied with self-TWOC at home. We managed to avoid 79.6+/-36.72 km of travel and 77 minutes of travel time for every self-TWOC. This also saved 85£/patient on clinic expenses and fuel cost savings of 9.87 to 15.99£ per patient depending on car engine size/type. The carbon footprint calculated was 20 Kilograms CO2 assuming average engine sized diesel/petrol cars and 10 Kilograms CO2 for average UK petrol hybrid car. The calculated carbon offset per patient for diesel/petrol cars: 0.32£, petrol hybrid: 0.16£. Self-TWOC for 80–160 patients will save the carbon emissions equivalent to that of a passenger on a London-New York Trans-Atlantic flight.
Conclusion
Self-TWOC is safe, affordable and is sustainable to the environment. Widespread acceptance of this practice change will be a small but steady step towards greener health systems across the world.
IL-1RA promotes oral squamous cell carcinoma malignancy through mitochondrial metabolism-mediated EGFR/JNK/SOX2 pathway
Authors: Yuan Shyng-Shiou F. , Wang Yun-Ming , Chan Leong-Perng , Hung Amos C. , Nguyen Hieu D.H. , Chen Yuk-Kwan , Hu Stephen Chu‐Sung , Lo Steven , Wang Yen Yun
Published: June 2023

Background
Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA), a member of the IL-1 family, has diverse roles in cancer development. However, the role of IL-1RA in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), in particular the underlying mechanisms, remains to be elucidated.
Methods
Tumor tissues from OSCC patients were assessed for protein expression by immunohistochemistry. Patient survival was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier curve analysis. Impact of differential IL-1RA expression on cultured OSCC cell lines was assessed in vitro by clonogenic survival, tumorsphere formation, soft agar colony formation, and transwell cell migration and invasion assays. Oxygen consumption rate was measured by Seahorse analyzer or multi-mode plate reader. PCR array was applied to screen human cancer stem cell-related genes, proteome array for phosphorylation status of kinases, and Western blot for protein expression in cultured cells. In vivo tumor growth was investigated by orthotopic xenograft in mice, and protein expression in xenograft tumors assessed by immunohistochemistry.
Results
Clinical analysis revealed that elevated IL-1RA expression in OSCC tumor tissues was associated with increased tumor size and cancer stage, and reduced survival in the patient group receiving adjuvant radiotherapy compared to the patient group without adjuvant radiotherapy. In vitro data supported these observations, showing that overexpression of IL-1RA increased OSCC cell growth, migration/invasion abilities, and resistance to ionizing radiation, whereas knockdown of IL-1RA had largely the opposite effects. Additionally, we identified that EGFR/JNK activation and SOX2 expression were modulated by differential IL-1RA expression downstream of mitochondrial metabolism, with application of mitochondrial complex inhibitors suppressing these pathways. Furthermore, in vivo data revealed that treatment with cisplatin or metformin - a mitochondrial complex inhibitor and conventional therapy for type 2 diabetes - reduced IL-1RA-associated xenograft tumor growth as well as EGFR/JNK activation and SOX2 expression. This inhibitory effect was further augmented by combination treatment with cisplatin and metformin.
Conclusions
The current study suggests that IL-1RA promoted OSCC malignancy through mitochondrial metabolism-mediated EGFR/JNK activation and SOX2 expression. Inhibition of this mitochondrial metabolic pathway may present a potential therapeutic strategy in OSCC.
Optimization of extraction process and estimation of flavonoids from fenugreek using green extracting deep eutectic solvents coupled with ultrasonication
Authors: Ashraf Waqas , Rehman Abdur , Hussain Arif , Karim Aiman , Sharif Hafiz Rizwan , Siddiqui Mahbuba , Zhang Lianfu
Published: June 2023

The extraction of flavonoids from fenugreek seeds was investigated using ultrasound-assisted deep eutectic solvents (DES). On the basis of bioactive profile, antioxidant potential and antimicrobial properties of fenugreek extracts, the most effective DES were selected after carefully analyzing the physicochemical properties of DES. The results suggested that all the six DES performed better than conventional solvent (methanol) and among DES, choline chloride-mallic acid (CCMA), choline chloride-citric acid (CCCA) and choline chloride-1,4-butanediol (CCBU) performed better under set conditions and further selected for optimization of processing conditions, including molar ratios, water required for dilution of DES, sonication power, sonication time and sonication temperature. Identification and quantification of the flavonoids present in optimized-DES extracts was carried out using HPLC-DAD. The results revealed that prominent individual flavonoid compounds were kaempferol (10.65 ± 0.49), rutin (18.33 ± 0.84) and quercetin (10.82 ± 0.59) mg/gm d.w. with recovery percentages of as 78.83%, 92.69% and 87.18% respectively. After analyzing the results of HPLC we can conclude that CCMA (DES) is a safer, greener and highly efficient extraction system for maximum and sustainable extraction of flavonoids compounds from fenugreek seeds.
Two-Year Outcomes of Conservatively Managed Appendicitis During the COVID-19 Pandemic – a multicentre cohort study
Authors: Bedwani Nader Habib , Smith Christopher , Kelada Monica , Patten Darren , Mak Wai Kin , English William , Shatkar Veeranna
Published: June 2023

Purpose
During the COVID-19 pandemic, appendicitis was more commonly managed conservatively, resulting in shorter hospital stays without increased short-term complications. The long-term outcome of this change remains unknown.
Methods
We conducted a multicentre, prospective, observational study including adult patients diagnosed with appendicitis after the implementation of the new surgical guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Outcomes included initial management failure, re-admission rate, appendicitis recurrence and interval appendicectomy. A historical cohort prior to the COVID-19 pandemic was used for comparison. Patients were followed up for two-years post index admission.
Results
63 and 79 patients with appendicitis were included from four NHS trusts, before (A) and after (B) the new intercollegiate guidelines respectively. Operative management was used less frequently in cohort B (28/79 vs 52/63; p < 0.001). More patients represented in cohort B (14/79 vs 3/63; p = 0.020), but not when comparing only those managed conservatively (2/11 vs 13/52; p = 1.000). A similar trend was observed for appendicitis recurrence although without statistical significance (2/63 vs 9/79; p = 0.112); with loss of trend when comparing those managed conservatively (2/11 vs 9/52; p = 1.000). Among all patients, four (2.8%) were found to have underlying neoplasia of which three were initially managed conservatively (3/63; 4.8%).
Conclusion
Conservative management of appendicitis had short-term benefits in expedited hospital discharge without early complications, but with higher readmission and appendicitis recurrence rates. The risks of this alongside missed/delayed management of neoplasia needs to be considered alongside the benefits including avoidance of aerosol-generating general anaesthesia and laparoscopy during the COVID-19 pandemic or similar future health crises.
Inflammatory Atherosclerotic Plaque Identification by SPECT/CT Imaging of LFA-1 using [111In] In-DANBIRT in a Novel Dyslipidemic Rat Model
Authors: Liu Zeyu , Daniels Tamara , Campen Matthew J. , Alvidrez Roberto Mota
Published: June 2023

Introduction
Atherosclerosis is prevalent globally, closely associated with dyslipidemia and other metabolic dysfunction. Early diagnosis of atherosclerosis is challenging due to limited diagnostic capabilities that need to be expanded with animal models with enhanced vascular biology like rats. Our previous research showed [111In] In-DANBIRT has potential as a diagnostic tool for detecting atherosclerosis in mice. The primary aim of the present study is to evaluate [111In] In-DANBIRT in a novel atherosclerotic rat with early and late-stage atherosclerosis and metabolic disease.
Methods
We characterized metabolic and body composition differences in these novel dyslipidemic rats under different diets using serum chemistry and DEXA scan, respectively. We performed 1-hour post injection in vivo molecular imaging of ApoE knockout, Lean Zucker (LZ) male rats at baseline and followed them into 10 weeks of either normal or high fat/cholesterol diet implementation (22 weeks of age).
Results
We identified significant differences in body composition and metabolic changes in ApoE knockout rats compared to ApoE wildtype rats. Our findings indicate an increased uptake of [111In] In-DANBIRT in ApoE knockout, lean Zucker (LZ) rats, particularly in the descending aorta, a location where early-stage atherosclerosis is commonly found. Our findings however also revealed that the ApoE knockout, Zucker Diabetic Fatty (ZDF) model has high mortality rate, which may be attributed to alterations of critical enzymes involved in regulating metabolism and liver function.
Conclusion
Our results are highly encouraging as they demonstrated the potential of [111In] In-DANBIRT to detect early-stage atherosclerosis in rats that might otherwise go unnoticed by other methods, showcasing the high sensitivity of [111In] In-DANBIRT. Our future studies will aim to establish a viable T2D atherosclerosis model in rats with more advanced stages of the disease to further demonstrate the reliability of [111In] In-DANBIRT as a diagnostic tool for patients in all stages of atherosclerosis.
Study on the impact of textile industry effluents of Ichalkaranji city on the water quality
Authors: Patil Virgonda A , Madnaik Sneha P , Khot Shruti S
Published: June 2023

In present work, Panchganga river water samples are collected from four different stations of River from Ichalkaranji to Shirol and water quality assessment is carried out in February 2023. The observations are compared with desirable values from IS 10500, (2012) to assess the environmental impact of the industrial, domestic and agricultural waste from respective zones on the water quality of Panchganga River. Then water quality index study is carried out for respective stations. Primarily, the city is located at the left bank of Panchganga River [8]. As the Panchganga River flowing from Ichalkaranji to Shirol is affected by the industries like textile processing units and similar. The research paper focuses on the study of the assessment on water quality and the physic-chemical parameters of surface water at Panchganga River exactly after mixing of industrial effluents of City. The water hyacinth grown and the dead fishes found at nadives naka drags towards the study of water quality index. Secondly, huge amount of fishes are found dead at river from Ichalkaranji to shirol. This situation drags towards study of parameters and quality assessment of existing surface water by detailed Water quality index study. From the study it is observed that, station I is highly polluted, Station II, III, IV are moderately polluted and hence need to treat before use. The amount of untreated water from textile industry is a key cause of pollution at and around shirol taluka.
Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals the heterogeneity of endothelial cells in human dupuytren’s disease
Authors: Li Shifang , Gong Meijiao
Published: June 2023

Dupuytren's disease is a common localized fibrotic disorder that affects the palmar fascia. Recent research using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has expanded our understanding of the main cellular and molecular processes in mesenchymal cells that drive Dupuytren's disease. However, the involvement of other cells in developing Dupuytren's disease is largely unresolved. Endothelial cells (ECs) play an important role in the pathophysiology of some fibrotic diseases, such as lung fibrosis, keloid, and systemic sclerosis, according to growing studies. In this study, scRNA-seq analysis from Dupuytren's disease, healthy dermis (DE), and nonpathogenic (Skoog's) fascia (SF) were performed to explore the major pathogenic ECs subpopulations associated with Dupuytren's disease. Our results showed that patients with Dupuytren's disease had a larger percentage of Endothelial cells with RGCC+ expression. We discovered the trajectory of differentiation from IL6+ ECs to RGCC+ ECs using RNA velocity and pseudotime analysis. Furthermore, utilizing integration analysis of DEG and hdWGCNA, the potential role of EC subpopulations involved in the disease was investigated. Finally, we identified potential endothelial cell transcription factors and investigated cell-cell communication among ECs. Overall, we discovered molecular features of ECs that relate to Dupuytren's disease at the single-cell level. These findings could contribute to our understanding of the pathogenesis of Dupuytren's disease.
Digital Illustration Marketing via Blogs in the VKontakte Social Network
Authors: Mahmutova Dar'ya , Gerasimova Dar'ya
Published: June 2023

Social networks provide a convenient platform for art dealing and marketing. Many digital illustrators have art blogs where they post and promote their work, which they may also exhibit at traditional offline galleries. The sphere of digital art is highly competitive and open to new effective promotion tools, which makes it a prospective research subject. This study featured an online community of digital artists in the VKontakte social network, as well as the methods they use to attract potential buyers and increase their fandom. The research relied on the information and communication method supported by such sociological tools as expert survey and content analysis. The expert survey made it possible to classify digital illustrators into those with maximal, medium, and minimal popularity, as well as to identify the most effective promotion tools for each group. The VKontakte social network offers a wide range of promotion tools, based on the algorithms of this social network. The popularity of young digital artists depends on such factors as relevant content and joint projects with mature digital illustrators. The research contributes to the development of the genre of digital illustration and the fine art in general.
Infilling missing data and outliers for a conventional sewage treatment plant using a self-organizing map: a case study of Kauma Sewage Treatment Plant in Lilongwe, Malawi
Authors: Mng'ombe Madalitso H. , Chunga Brighton Austin , Mtonga Eddie W. , Chidya Russel C. G. , Malota Mphatso
Published: June 2023

Data availability is key for modeling of wastewater treatment processes. However, process data are characterized by missing values and outliers. This study applied a self-organizing map (SOM) to fill in missing values and replace outliers in wastewater treatment data from Kauma Sewage Treatment Plant in Lilongwe, Malawi. We used primary and secondary wastewater data and executed the SOM algorithm to fill missing values and replace outliers in effluent pH, biochemical oxygen demand, and dissolved oxygen. The results suggest that the SOM algorithm is reliable in filling gaps in wastewater time series data with less than 50% missing values with correlation coefficient (R) values of >0.90. The SOM algorithm failed to reliably fill gaps and replace outliers in time series data with >50% missing values. For instance, high mean square error (MSE) values of 3,655.57, 10.62, and 2,153.34 for pH, DO, and BOD, respectively, were registered in datasets with more than 50% missing values, while very small MSE values (MSE ≈ 0) were associated with effluent pH, BOD, and DO data with missing values of >50%. Practitioners can use this approach to improve the planning and management of wastewater treatment facilities where available data records are riddled with missing observations.
A closer look at the history of the desalination industry: the evolution of the practice of desalination through the course of time
Authors: Zolghadr-Asli Babak , McIntyre Neil , Djordjević Slobodan , Farmani Raziyeh , Pagliero Liliana
Published: June 2023

Maintaining access to a sustainable water resource is becoming increasingly difficult in the midst of the ongoing global water crisis, emphasizing the importance of investing in alternative resources such as desalinated water. Throughout history, the desalination industry has adapted to the specific needs of an era or different environmental conditions by incorporating cutting-edge technologies. The general theme of this paper is the past, the present, and the future of the desalination industry. As such, this research aims to examine the evolution of the desalination industry over time, understand its current state, and ultimately use this knowledge to highlight some important considerations for its future. This review highlighted the immense influence of the energy market on the prevalence of desalination technology in a given region and/or eras. The information gathered here indicates that other sectors, such as agriculture, may need to rely on this unconventional water supply in the future, but there are certain factors ranging from socioeconomic to environmental concerns that need continued and increased research to facilitate the long-term, sustainable development of this practice.
A Review of Current and Prospective Treatments for Channelopathies, with a Focus on Gene and Protein Therapy
Authors: Sakla Monica , Breitinger Ulrike , Breitinger Hans-Georg , Mansour Samar , Nabil Tammam Salma
Published: June 2023

Reduced cell surface expression or the malfunctioning of ion channels gives rise to a group of disorders
known as channelopathies. To treat the underlying cause, the delivery and/or expression of a functional ion
channel into the cell membrane of the cell of interest is required. Unfortunately, for most channelopathies, current
treatment options are only symptomatic and treatments that rectify the underlying damage are still lacking.
Within this context, approaches that rely on gene and protein therapy are required. Gene therapy would allow
the expression of a functional protein, provided that the cellular machinery in the diseased cell could correctly
fold and traffic the protein to the cell membrane. Whereas protein therapy would allow the direct delivery of a
functional protein, provided that the purification process does not affect protein function and a suitable delivery
vehicle for targeted delivery is used. In this review, we provide an overview of channelopathies and available
symptomatic treatments. The current state of gene therapy approaches mainly using viral vectors is discussed,
which is followed by the role of nanomedicine in protein therapy and how nanomedicine could be exploited for
the delivery of functional ion channels to diseased cells.
Over-expression of microRNA-145 Elevating Autophagy Activities via Downregulating FRS2 Expression
Authors: Tian Ke , Deng Bin , Han Xiaodong , Zheng Haiyi , Lin Tao , Wang Zhimeng , Zhang Yuanmin , Wang Guodong
Published: June 2023

Objectives:

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common chronic and progressive
joint diseases characterized by cartilage degeneration and chondrocyte death. In this study, we
aimed to identify the modulation effect of miR-145 on chondrocytes' autophagy during the development
of OA.

Background:

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most prevalent types of chronic and progressive
joint disorder with the symptoms of joint pain and stiffness, and it leads to disability at the end
stage. In recent years, microRNA-145 (miR-145) has been found to activate autophagy in various
cell types, including mesenchymal stem cells, cardiomyocytes, and osteosarcoma cells. However, it
is unknown whether miR-145 regulates the progression of OA by influencing chondrocyte autophagy.

Methods:

Before investigating the regulatory effect of miR-145 on the autophagic activity of
chondrocytes, the expression of miR-145 in human joint samples was analyzed. The targeting relationship
between miR-145 and FRS2 was detected by dual luciferase assay. The effect of FRS2
and miR-145 on the autophagic activity of chondrocytes was observed by bidirectional expression
of FRS2 and miR-145.

Results:

The miR-145 expression and LC3-II/LC3-I ratio were significantly decreased and the
SQSTM1 expression was increased in OA patients. The miR-145 overexpression in C20A4 cells
increased LC3-II/LC3-I ratio, decreased SQSTM1 expression, and was positively correlated with
autophagic activity. Under oxidative stress, miR-145 overexpression significantly improved chondrocyte
viability through autophagy stimulation. FRS2 is a potential target of miR-145 via a binding
sequence within its 3’ UTR. FRS2 acts as the downstream mediator of miR-145 to suppress autophagy
through activating PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways.

Conclusion:

The miR-145 acts as a protective factor against chondrocytes by regulating miRFRS2-
autophagy axis. The decrease of miR-145 in articular synovial fluid may turn out to be an
important marker for early diagnosis of OA, and modulation of miR-145 may represent a promising
therapeutic strategy for OA.
Blood Neurofilament Light Chain in Different Types of Dementia
Authors: Gu Lihua , Shu Hao , Wang Yanjuan , Wang Pan
Published: June 2023

Aims:

The study aimed to evaluate diagnostic values of circulating neurofilament light chain
(NFL) levels in different types of dementia.

Background:

Previous studies reported inconsistent change of blood NFL for different types of dementia,
including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), Parkinson’s disease dementia
(PDD) and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and Lewy body dementia (LBD).

Objective:

Meta-analysis was conducted to summarize the results of studies evaluating diagnostic
values of circulating NFL levels in different types of dementia to enhance the strength of evidence.

Methods:

Articles evaluating change in blood NFL levels in dementia and published before July 2022
were searched on the following databases (PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Medline and Google
Scholar). The computed results were obtained by using STATA 12.0 software.

Results:

AD patients showed increased NFL concentrations in serum and plasma, compared to healthy
controls (HC) [standard mean difference (SMD) = 1.09, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.48, 1.70, I2 =
97.4%, p < 0.001]. In AD patients, higher NFL concentrations in serum and plasma were associated
with reduced cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ1-42, increased CSF t-tau, increased CSF p-tau, reduced
Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and decreased memory. Additionally, mild cognitive impairment
(MCI) showed elevated NFL concentrations in serum and plasma, compared to HC (SMD =
0.53, 95% CI: 0.18, 0.87, I2 = 93.8%, p < 0.001). However, in MCI, no significant association was
found between NFL concentrations in serum, plasma and memory or visuospatial function. No significant
difference was found between preclinical AD and HC (SMD = 0.18, 95% CI: -0.10, 0.47, I2 =
0.0%, p = 0.438). FTD patients showed increased NFL concentrations in serum and plasma, compared
to HC (SMD = 1.08, 95% CI: 0.72, 1.43, I2 = 83.3%, p < 0.001). Higher NFL concentrations in serum
and plasma were associated with increased CSF NFL in FTD. Additionally, the pooled parameters calculated
were as follows: sensitivity, 0.82 (95% CI: 0.72, 0.90); specificity, 0.91 (95% CI: 0.83, 0.96).
CJD patients showed increased NFL concentrations in serum and plasma, compared to HC. No significant
difference in NFL level in serum and plasma was shown between AD and FTD (SMD = -0.03,
95% CI: -0.77, 0.72, I2 = 83.3%, p = 0.003).

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the study suggested abnormal blood NFL level in AD and MCI, but not in
preclinical AD. FTD and CJD showed abnormal blood NFL levels.
Biginelli Reaction: A Multi-Component Type of Reaction and Synthetic
Advancement in the Synthesis of Bioactive Dihydropyrimidinone
Derivatives
Authors: Ambatwar Ramesh , Gupta Vaibhav , Kumar Sumit , Khatik Gopal L.
Published: June 2023

Background:

In synthetic and medicinal chemistry, multi-component reactions (MCRs)
are considered an essential tool in synthesizing bioactive heterocyclic scaffolds. These reactions have
been strategically used in drug discovery and development because of ease and economy.

Objective:

The current manuscript aims to highlight the importance of the Biginelli reaction in the
synthesis of diverse dihydropyrimidinones with medicinal applications.

Methods:

We searched various keywords, including “multicomponent reaction”, “Biginelli reaction”
and “dihydropyrimidinone” on “PubMed, PubChem, and google scholar” and collected the relevant
articles for including the current work.

Results:

Biginelli reaction involving ketoester, aldehyde, and urea is a high-yielding, atomeconomical,
environmentally benign reaction for developing a library of new dihydropyrimidinones
to drive the process of drug discovery. Several developments were achieved with modifications of
synthetic techniques, including C-H activation, coupling, cycloaddition, etc. Inclusively, these modifications
give access to a wide range of dihydropyrimidinones.

Conclusion:

The current review provides an overview of recent developments in the Biginelli reaction
and insights into synthesizing bioactive dihydropyrimidinones.
Analisis Bibliometrik Perkembangan Penelitian Inovasi Kebijakan di Indonesia
Authors: Rahman Hardiyanto
Published: June 2023

Inovasi Kebijakan di Indonesia tidak hanya dimaknai sebagai digitalisasi, namun juga sebagai nilai-nilai sebuah kebijakan (policy values). Berkaitan dengan pernyataan tersebut, maka penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melihat trend penelitian yang berkenaan dengan Inovasi kebijakan di Indonesia. Adapun penelitian ini menggunakan analisis bibliometrik dan analisis konten yang bersumber dari database scopus untuk dapat diolah dan dianalisis dari topik dan isi artikel, serta menggunakan aplikasi Vosviewer untuk membuat peta bibliometrik. Penelitian ini mengungkap bahwa publikasi terbanyak dilakukan pada tahun 2022 sebanyak 6 artikel, dan sitasi terbanyak pada tahun 2017 sebanyak 81 dari 20 artikel lainnya dengan judul Perceptions across scales of governance and the Indonesian peatland fires. Untuk Co-Authorship antar penulis tergabung dalam 19 klaster dengan afiliasi negara dari Indonesia yang terbanyak sejumlah 20. Ditemukan juga bahwa Inovasi kebijakan di Indonesia paling banyak terpublikasi berkaitan dengan kebijakan inovasi teknologi ekonomi digital dan online, kebijakan sumberdaya alam dan keberlanjutan pembangunan, kebijakan kesehatan, kebijakan transportasi dan fasilitas umum, kebijakan penyediaan lapangan kerja, kebijakan ekonomi, pengelolaan keuangan desa, pengembangan wisata. Sedangkan Inovasi Kebijakan yang paling jarang dilakukan publikasi berkaitan dengan governance of science and tech, urban planning, environmental management, competiton law and policy, sehingga hal tersebut kedepannya berpotensi untuk dilakukan penelitian dan publikasi.