bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Combining deep-wavelet neural networks and support-vector machines to classify breast lesions in thermography images
Authors: de Santana Maíra Araújo , Barbosa Valter Augusto de Freitas , de Lima Rita de Cássia Fernandes , Santos Wellington Pinheiro dos
Published: March 2022

Purpose: Breast cancer is among the leading causes of cancer death among women. The occurrence of breast cancer is similar both in developed countries and in underdeveloped and developing nations, although mortality is higher in underdeveloped countries due to late detection. Even though mammography is the most used technique for the differential diagnosis of breast cancer, breast thermography can be used as a complementary technique, more accurate than self-examination but accurate enough to guide the use of a mammogram. However, thermal imaging is still difficult for radiologists to understand. Machine learning can help improve this scenario. Deep Wavelet Neural Networks are convolutional neural networks that do not necessarily learn, as they may have predefined filter banks as their neurons. Methods: In this work, we propose a deep hybrid architecture to support breast thermography imaging diagnosis based on five-layer Deep-Wavelet Neural Networks, to extract attributes of regions of interest from mammograms, and linear kernel support vector machines for final classification. Results: Classical classifiers such as Bayesian classifiers, single hidden layer multilayer perceptrons, decision trees, Random Forests, and support vector machines were tested. The results showed that it is possible to detect and classify injuries with an average accuracy of 99% and an average kappa of 0.99, employing a 5-layer deep-wavelet network and a linear kernel support vector machine as the final classifier. Conclusion: Using a deep neural network with prefixed weights from the Wavelets Transform filterbank, it was possible to extract attributes and thus take the problem to a universe where it can be solved with relatively simple decision boundaries like those composed by linear kernel support vector machines. This shows that these new deep networks can be important in building complete solutions to improve breast thermography imaging results to support clinical diagnosis.
Early indications on pediatric renal injury: Evidence from biomarkers; Kidney injury molecule-1 and Neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin.
Authors: Gunasekara T. D. K. S. C. , De Silva P. Mangala CS , Eka E. M.D.V. , Thakshila W. A.K.G. , Pinipa R. A.I. , Sandamini P. M.M.A. , Gunarathna S. D. , Chandana E. P. S. , Jayasinghe S. S , Herath C. , Siribaddana Sisira , Jayasundara Nishad
Published: March 2022

Pediatric renal injury is an emergent health concern in communities affected by Chronic Kidney Disease of uncertain etiology (CKDu). Early detection of susceptibilities through highly sensitive and specific biomarkers can lead to effective therapeutic and preventive interventions against renal diseases. Here, we aimed to investigate the utility of kidney injury molecule (KIM-1) and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in early detection of renal abnormalities in selected pediatric communities in Sri Lanka.. The study areas were stratified as CKDu endemic, emerging and non-endemic based on the prevalence of CKDu, and a total of 804 school students (10-18 years of age) participated in the study. The median (IQR) urinary KIM-1 levels of the participants were 0.193 (0.026-0.338), 0.082 (0.001-0.220) and 0.040 (0.003-0.242) ng/mgCr for CKDu endemic, emerging and non-endemic regions respectively. Participants from CKDu endemic regions reported elevated (p<0.0001) urinary KIM-1 expression compared to those from the other regions. The median (IQR) NGAL levels in participants from CKDu endemic (2.969; 1.833-5.641), emerging (3.374; 1.766-6.103), and non-endemic (3.345; 1.742-5.128 ng/mgCr) regions showed no significant difference. Also, urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (UACR) showed no significant differences across gender or residency. The prevalence of albuminuria was 1- 2 % in the locations irrespective of CKDu burden. Albuminuric participants reported higher (p<0.05) urinary KIM-1 levels in comparison to normoalbuminuric participants. Significantly elevated urinary KIM-1 expression in a pediatric population from CKDu affected regions, especially in the presence of albuminuria, may indicate low-grade early renal damage supporting the utility of KIM-1 as a quantifiable biomarker.
Effect of oxidative stress-induced autophagy on proliferation and apoptosis of hMSCs
Authors: Liu Zhijun , Liu Shaojin , Zheng Weipeng , Liao Zhihao , Chen Sheng , Wei Hewei
Published: March 2022

Background:Objective:To observe the effect of H2O2 induced oxidative stress on autophagy and apoptosis of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs). Method: The hBMSCs were separated and cultured by density gradient centrifugation combined with adherence method. They were divided into blank group (with medium only), 3-MA (autophagy inhibitor) pretreatment group (with 2 ml of 5 mM 3-MA medium), H2O2 Intervention group (add 2ml medium containing 0.05mM H2O2), H2O2+3-MA treatment group (add 2ml medium containing 5mM 3-MA, then add 2ml medium containing 0.05mM H2O2). DCFH-DA staining was used to detect cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels,and CCK-8 analysis was used to detect the effects of different concentrations (0,50,100,200,400μmol/L) of H2O2 on the proliferation of hBMSCs; Monodansylcadaverine(MDC) Fluorescent amine probe staining, Lysosome Red Fluorescent Probe (Lyso-Tracker Red) staining to observe the level of autophagy; Immunofluorescence staining to detect the expression of LC3A/B; Flow cytometry (Annexin V/PI) to detect cell apoptosis Circumstances; Protein chip detection of autophagy-related proteins; Western blot detection of Beclin1, mTOR, p-mTOR, LC3A/B, and Cleaved caspase-3 protein expression. Result: After treating hBMSCs with different concentrations of H2O2 (0,50,100,200,400μmol) for 24h ,48h, and 72h, with the increase of H2O2 concentration, the cell proliferation ability decreased; while with the extension of time, the cell proliferation ability increased not significantly; 50μmol cell proliferation ability is the strongest. Compared with the blank group and 3-MA group, the H2O2 intervention group increased the level of intracellular ROS, increased autophagosomes, and significantly decreased the apoptosis rate; up-regulated Beclin1, mTOR, LC3A/B and Cleaved caspase-3 protein expression, and down-regulated p-mTOR Protein expression level. Compared with the autophagy inhibitor 3-MA group, the H2O2+3-MA group increased the level of intracellular ROS, increased autophagosomes, and did not significantly increase the apoptosis rate; up-regulated the protein expression of Beclin1, mTOR, LC3A/B and Cleaved caspase-3 Down-regulate the expression of p-mTOR protein. Conclusion: H2O2 can induce hMSCs to produce oxidative stress response. Under oxidative stress conditions, hMSCs can promote protective autophagy and reduce cell apoptosis or the level of apoptosis caused by excessive autophagy.
Normalized Protein Catabolic Rate as a Nutritional Status Parameter in End Stage Kidney Disease Children on Hemodialysis
Authors: Hidayati Eka Laksmi , Hartanto Ignatia Karina , Kaswandani Nastiti , Kadim Muzal , Yanuarso Piprim Basarah , Hendarto Aryono
Published: March 2022

Background
Malnutrition is a common condition in pediatric chronic kidney disease patients, and it is more complex as it could interfere with their growth and development potential. Nevertheless, classic nutritional status monitoring using anthropometric measurements is challenging due to its limitations. Normalized protein catabolic rate (nPCR) is a recent parameter that has already been recommended as a tool for monitoring nutritional status in the pediatric population with end-stage kidney disease that has undergone hemodialysis. However, it is still rarely used in Indonesia. We investigated the value and role of nPCR in the pediatric end-stage kidney with hemodialysis.
Methods
We conducted a cross-sectional study in patients 3–18 years old at Pediatric Hemodialysis Center Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital. Inclusion criteria were end-stage kidney disease patients who underwent routine hemodialysis for at least three months and were free of infection and hospitalization within the last one month.
Results
The population of end-stage kidney disease children on routine hemodialysis at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital had an average nPCR value of 0,85 g/kg/day. Subjects who had weight gain in 1 month after HD tend to be 4,3 times more likely to have nPCR ≥ 1 g/kg/day than those who did not gain weight. There was a weak positive correlation between nPCR and protein intake but not statistically significant.
Conclusion
nPCR measurement seems to be a promising tool to assess nutritional status in pediatric CKD. However, further study is needed using cohort and longer follow-up time.
The root enrichment of bacteria is consistent across different stress-resistant plant species
Authors: Huang Feng , Zhu Congyi , Huang Minli
Published: March 2022

Bacteria, inhabiting around and in the plant root, confer many beneficial traits to plant growth and health. From the plant part, the secretion of root exudates modulates the nutritional state of the rhizosphere and root area, further selects specific bacteria taxa and structures the bacteria communities within the area. Many studies of the rhizosphere effects have demonstrated that the selection by the plant rhizosphere consistently enriches a set of bacteria phyla and genera, and is conserved across different plant species. Even though the root selection effects are considered stricter to the rhizosphere, their studies are still limited. Here, we focus on the root selection effects across a group of 11 stress-resistant plant species. We found that the root selection consistently reduced the alpha diversity (represented by observed species, shannon diversity, and phylogenetic diversity) and altered the structure and composition of bacteria communities. Furthermore, the root selection tended to enrich the species of a cluster of bacterial genera including Pantoea, Akkermansia, Blautia, Acinetobacter, Burkholderia-Paraburkholderia, Novosphingobium, Massilia, Pseudomonas, Chryseobacterium, and Stenotrophomonas. Our study offers some basic knowledge to the understanding of the microbial ecology of the plant root, and suggests that several bacteria genera are of interests in future studies.
Hidden blood loss in minimally invasive surgery for osteoporotic vertebral fractures.
Authors: Martin-Gorgojo Victor , Girona Sara Burguet , Donat Sonia Muñoz
Published: March 2022

Purpose
Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) of the spine prevents the collapse of osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVF) with lower complication and bleeding rates than open surgery. However, the possibility of hidden blood loss (HBL) has been recently described. This study aimed to estimate the postoperative impact of HBL in patients undergoing MIS for OVF.
Materials and methods
This was a retrospective study of a series of patients. Those with pathological fractures, using anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy, with severe anemia (hemoglobin [Hb] < 9 g/dL), who had received a transfusion before surgery, or with hematological disorders were excluded. A descriptive analysis of recorded variables was performed, and total blood volume (TBV), total bleeding (TB), HBL, and Hb drop were calculated. This was followed by a comparative analysis between HBL and the variables of hospital stay and postoperative evolution.
Results
A total of 40 patients were included, eight men and 32 women, with a mean age of 76.6 years. The mean HBL was 682.5 mL. HBL greater than 500 mL was related to a higher probability of torpid postoperative evolution (p = 0.045) and a longer hospital stay (p = 0.067). A higher HBL was observed in surgeries of greater technical complexity and longer surgical time.
Conclusion
Although MIS techniques have shown less intraoperative bleeding than open surgery, HBL should be diagnosed because it is associated with a torpid evolution. The use of a diagnostic and therapeutic algorithm may help minimize its impact.
In Silico Screening of Potential Antiviral Inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease
Authors: Palanisamy Kandhan , Maiyelvaganan K. Rudharachari , Kamalakannan Shanmugasundaram , Thilagavathi Ramasamy , Selvam Chelliah , Prakash Muthuramalingam
Published: March 2022

Respiratory illness due to SARS-CoV-2 emerged in 2019 and has a significant morbidity and mortality rate. The main protease (Mpro) is mainly responsible for the viral replications, which acts as a good drug target to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 related diseases. Chemical compounds obtained from various herbal plants are showing potent antiviral activity against numerous viral diseases. Initial screening was performed with the phytochemicals against Mpro using molecular docking. These result shows that there is a strong interaction exhibited between active sites (His-41 and Cys-145) of Mpro with chemical compounds. In addition, ADME prediction and Lipinski’s rule of five calculations demonstrated that the selected compounds have potential drug-like properties. Further, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to understand the stability and structural changes of protein-ligand complexes for the top five compounds. MM/PBSA studies strongly suggested that compounds sitosterol, spinasterol, and asarinin form stable complexes with Mpro. The most significant hot spot residues such as Thr-25, Met-49, Cys-145, Met-165, and Gln-189 have strongly interacted with the selected chemical compounds. Our calculations suggest that asarinin is the best inhibitor to the Mpro, which supports these candidates could be potent antiviral agents against SARS-CoV-2.
Evaluation of effects of robot-assisted early mobilization on critically ill patients, on the mobilization behaviour and experience of the mobilizing professionals and the organizational processes in an intensive care unit - a clinical intervention study: study protocol
Authors: Warmbein Angelika , Schroeder Ines , Mehler-Klamt Amrei Christin , Rathgeber Ivanka , Huber Jana , Scharf Christina , Hübner Lucas , Gutmann Marcus , Biebl Johanna , Lorenz Andreas , Kraft Eduard , Zoller Michael , Eberl Inge , Fischer Uli
Published: March 2022

Background: Early mobilization positively influences the outcome of critically ill patients, yet in the clinical practice the implementation is sometimes challenging. In this study, an adaptive robotic assistance system will be used for early mobilization in intensive care units. The study aims to evaluate the experience of the mobilizing professionals, the effects on patient outcomes, and the general feasibility of implementing robotic assistance for mobilization in intensive care.Methods: The study is monocentric, prospective, interventional, and has multiple time points for data collection. To evaluate the feasibility of robotic-assisted early mobilization, the number of patients included, the number of performed VEM (very early mobilization) sessions, as well as the number and type of adverse events will be collected. The behavior and experience of mobilizing professionals will be evaluated using standardized observations (n>90) and episodic interviews (n>36) before implementation, shortly after, and in routine. Patient outcomes such as duration of mechanical ventilation, loss of muscle mass and physical activity will be measured and compared with a historical patient population. Approximately 30 patients will be included. Discussion: The study will provide information about patient outcomes, feasibility, and the experience of mobilizing professionals. It will show whether robotic systems can increase early mobilization frequency of critically ill patients. Within ICU structures, early mobilization as therapy could become more of a focus. Effects on the mobilizing professionals such as increased motivation, physical relief, or stress will be evaluated. In addition, this study will focus on whether current structures allow following the recommendation of mobilizing patients twice a day for at least 20 minutes. The aim of this study is to evaluate the implementation of a new standard of robotic-assisted early mobilization in the intensive care setting and whether it can be utilized permanently within the current framework.Trial registration: (clinicaltrials.org TRN: NCT05071248, Date: 2021/10/21) URL https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05071248
Do students of dance schools show orthorexic behaviours?
Authors: Grajek Mateusz , Krupa-Kotara Karolina , Białek-Dratwa Agnieszka , Sas-Nowosielski Krzysztof
Published: March 2022

Introduction. Many studies have shown that a group of people practicing sports, including those representing sports disciplines that require a slim figure and flexibility, is exposed to an increased risk of orthorexia nervosa (ON). Due to great difficulties in making the final diagnosis, the exact number of people suffering from orthorexia is still unknown. Aim. The study aimed to assess the risk of orthorexic behavior in the group of girls attending ballet schools. The essence of the study was to analyze the anthropometric indicator and eating habits and to correlate them with the obtained risk indicator of orthorexic behaviors. Material and method. The investigated group consisted of 800 female students (10–18 years old) who attended ballet schools in Poland (Silesia). At the beginning of the study, anthropometric measurements of the examined students were performed and a detailed nutritional interview was conducted with them. The dietary habits of the research group were evaluated by the diet quality index (DQI) . To assess the risk of orthorexic behaviors, an ORTO-15, and ORTO-15 PL questionnaires were used. The collected data were statistically analyzed (the Statistica 13.0 package was applied). The degree of probability was 0.05. Results. Based on the DQI it was found that 44% of all respondents reported good, 36% - satisfactory, and 20% - bad eating habits. The genuine risk of eating disorders was observed among 65% (ORTO-15) and 59% (ORTO-15 PL) of subjects. This included students with good dietary habits (65%) and 73% of students who considered themselves to be obese. Statistical inference showed a relationship between the positive result obtained in the ORTO-15 questionnaire and participants’ incorrect perception of their own body (p<0.05). Moreover, it was noted that higher scores in both ORTO scales were obtained by girls whose BMI (62%) and %BF (56%) were in the correct range. Conclusion. This is particularly visible in the group of girls whose eating habits were assessed as good and in the group of ballerinas who consider themselves obese. Moreover, it was noted that BMI and adipose tissue level in the risk group was at the correct level.
Using Population Health Management to improve screening of women with history of gestational diabetes in an urban setting
Authors: Bridle Laura , Cross Pauline , Danielli Shaun , Ashrafian Hutan , Darzi Ara
Published: March 2022

Background The human and financial costs of diabetes related illness and treatment are significant and increasing. This is also true of women who develop gestational diabetes in pregnancy, the majority of which are subsequently likely to develop type 2 diabetes. The National Institute for Health & Care Excellence (NICE) guidance sets out clear expectations of the care pregnant women should receive. However, evidence suggests reality is a long way from this guidance. Methods Data was collected from the population health management system covering the London borough of Lewisham. This was used to compare actual care with NICE guidance. The results were used to target cultural appropriate interventions to improve care. ResultsThe care pregnant women were receiving fell a long way short of NICE guidance, with 84% of women not being screened at the initial 3 months postpartum and 99% of women not being screened annually. This is significantly worse than the UK average. ConclusionUsing population health management is beneficial in identifying the gap between actual care and best practice. The process of examining the data through population health management also enable targeted culturally appropriate interventions.
Predictive role of Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2T in recurrence-free survival and aromatase inhibitor responsiveness in breast cancer
Authors: Zhang Wei , wang Siying , Zhang Ruiqi , Qu Shaohua , Lyu Jun , Lyu Rongzhao , Wang Ningxia
Published: March 2022

Background: Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2T (UBE2T), an E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, is verified to play an important role in the tumorigenesis of various cancers. By downregulation of BRCA1, UBE2T affects the growth of BC cells. However, the clinical significance of UBE2T is uncertain. To explore the role of UBE2T in breast cancer (BC). Methods: Firstly, we analyzed the correlations between UBE2T and clinicopathological characteristics of BC by the TCGA database. Next, Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis were utilized for association between clinicopathological features and the overall survival (OS). Kaplan-Meier analysis and ROC plotter were used for survival analysis and drug sensitivity. Results：UBE2T was significantly upregulated in BC in comparison with para cancer tissue(p<0.001). The high expression of UBE2T is related to lager tumor sizes (p=0.006) and later clinical stages (p=0.001). UBE2T is verified to be correlated with ER, PR, HER2 status of BC. The expression level of UBE2T varies in different molecular subtypes of BC. Further research revealed that UBE2T mainly affected the recurrence-free time of BC in subgroups. Conclusions: Univariate analysis and multivariate analysis certified that UBE2T was an independent indicator for BC prognosis. UBE2T is proven to be a good biomarker for predicting the responds of BC patients to aromatase inhibitor (AI).
Design and Development of RTI System for Moisture Content Localization in Rice Silo
Authors: ABDULLAH MOHAMMED SAEED MOQBEL , Rahiman Mohd Hafiz Fazalul , Zakaria Ammar , Kamarudin Latifah Munirah , Mohamed Latifah , Ramli Nurul Amira , Talib Masturah Tunnur Mohamad , Lee Chau Ching , Ahmad Anita , Rahim Ruzairi Abdul
Published: March 2022

Moisture content (MC) is the weight of water contained in rice and other grains expressed in percent. Accurate MC testing is essential for managing and selling the paddy and rice, depending on the marketing goals. Inaccurate MC measurement leads to lower head rice, extra drying cost, and a loss of quality, whereas spoilage and harvesting losses if the paddy is harvested wetter than necessary. Currently, the assessment of rice MC is based on a sampling and single point measurement, and so far, there is no available method for the overall measurement of the MC in a rice silo. This research intends to reconstruct a Radio Tomography Imaging (RTI) of the rice MC. By using the tomography method, one can assess the rice MC in the whole silo. The efficiency and accuracy of the localization of moisture distribution in the rice silo can be investigated by mapping the strong and weak received signal strength (RSS), where different colors in the tomogram represent the changes in moisture distribution. The mapping of the RSS in terms of RTI tomogram was reconstructed by three proposed image reconstruction algorithms which are linear back projection, filtered back projection and Gaussian. In this study, eight different phantoms' position and size have been tested. The reconstructed images were analyzed using the Mean Structural Similarity Index (MSSIM). Gaussian algorithm scored the highest MSSIM index for all phantoms' features. In conclusion, this study offered a new finding on the tomography approach to localize the rice MC in a whole silo.
The Distribution and Drug Resistance Characteristics of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureous to be Public and Animal Health Burdon in Ethiopia: Meta-Analysis
Authors: Fayissa Negassa , Alemu Tesfaye , Desalegn Asnake , Jirata Dagim
Published: March 2022

Introduction: Antimicrobial resistance to specific antibacterial drugs in bacteria have led many drugs of choice ineffective against pathogens. Methecillin resistant S.aureus (MRSA) is one of the pathogens, which looses sensitivity to Methicillin. Methicillin has been considered as the drug of choice of choice to treat infections caused by β-lactams and other antibiotics resistant S. aureus. Objectives: The objectives of the current study were to analyse the prevalence of MRSA in S. aureus isolates from different sources of samples and to assess the risk factors associated with the prevalence. The multidrug resistance pattern of the pathogen was also one of the outcome of interest of the review.Methods: The original research articles were collected from PubMed and PMC databases from 12th to 14th December 2021. The English language articles conducting on MRSA prevalence in Ethiopia were included in the analysis. Relevant data were extracted, coded and displayed on Excel spreadsheet. The pooled prevalence of MRSA was determined per S. aureus isolates. The analysis were made by using R statistical software at 95% CI. Result: 79 research eligible articles were selected for the meta-analysis. 26930 samples were collected from different sampled materials. Of these 4219 (15.65%) were S. aureus positive of which 1695 were found MRSA strains. The overall pooled prevalence of MRASA in S. aureus was found to be 40%. The pooled prevalence of MRSA in human, animal, food and environment was 38%,15%,77%,and 54% respectively. The strain was determined significantly highest in food and environment than in animal and human samples (p<0.05). The subgroup analysis based on the health status of the individual in samples of human indicated that MRSA was significantly prevalent in patients than in health individuals (p<0.05). The assessment of MDR pattern of MRSA revealed that it was highly resistant to cefuroxime (100%), Tobramycin (100%), Neomycin (99%) and Penicillin (92%), Pipracilin (91%), Erythromycin (88%), Bacitracin(84%) and Amoxacilin-clavulanicacid (80%). In contrast Clindamycin, chloramphenicol, Amikacin, vancomycin, Knamycin and Ceftriaxone with pooled resistance rates of 21%, 22%, 27% , 20%, 25% and 30% respectively were antibiotic of relatively better effective.
Efficacy of Alternating Antipyretic Therapy According to the Administration Interval in Children Using Patient-Generated Health Data: A Retrospective Observational Study
Authors: Kim Hyery , Na Se Hee , Park Ji Ae , Sung Min Dong , Lee Jae-Ho , Shin Jae Won , Park Yu Rang
Published: March 2022

Caregivers are often advised to use additional antipyretic agents if fever persists before the next dosing time. However, no consistent evidence or guidelines have been reported. This study was to evaluate appropriate time intervals for alternating antipyretic therapy based on the antipyretic effect and incidence of low body temperature using large-scale patient-generated health data. Participants were children and their caregivers, who used the Fever Coach mobile application between February 2015 and December 2019. One case was referred to as a single record for up to 72 h after the first antipyretic record. Of the total 138,117 cases, the mean age was 29.58 months, and the mean baseline temperature was 38.77°C. The reduction in body temperature from baseline was -0.33°C, -0.54°C, and -0.62°C in the 2-3 hours, 3-4 hours, and 4-5 hours interval groups, respectively (P<.001, effect size 0.041). Within 6 hours, the area under the temperature curve from baseline was -201.59 in the 2-3 hours interval, -165.62 in the 3-4 hours interval, and -164.32 in the 4-5 hours interval groups (P<.001, effect size 0.014). In this study using large-scale patient-generated health data, antipyretic effects were greatest at the 2-3 hours interval for alternating therapy. Digitalized patient-generated health data could be used as a proper reference for real-world health guidelines.
In vitro anti-inflammatory compounds from Viburnum coriaceum show inhibition of epileptic seizures in rat model
Authors: Vijayakumar Vijaytha , Jayanandan Abhithaj , Mrudhula C. , Suresh Sharanya C. , Sabu A. , Variyar E. Jayadevi , Haridas M.
Published: March 2022

Inflammatory mediators released during seizure act as neuromodulators for nerve cell functioning along with inflammation build-up. They can be targeted for the treatment of epilepsy. Anticonvulsant activity of Viburnum coriaceum extract suggested the potential of the plant in neurological disorders. Preliminary analysis revealed the inhibitory potential of plant root-hexane extract on trypsin and LOX in vitro. This was then fractionated by various chromatographic techniques for the isolation of active compounds. In silico scrutiny of compounds in the GC profile revealed two active compounds, docosane, and methyl palmitate. These compounds were subjected to trypsin and LOX inhibition and their kinetics assays, LOX and COX inhibition assays in LPS induced inflammatory IMR 32 cell lines, and antiepileptic activity on pilocarpine-induced rat models. Docosane showed 50.74% trypsin and 82.51% LOX inhibition. Methyl palmitate showed 91.04% trypsin and 81.12% LOX inhibition. Both the compounds showed a mixed mode of inhibition for trypsin. Docosane showed a mixed-mode and methyl palmitate showed an uncompetitive mode of inhibition for LOX. In the cell culture studies, methyl palmitate had 75.25% and docosane had 67.66% inhibition on COX whereas they had 72.97% and 67.22% inhibition on LOX respectively. Methyl palmitate showed a better antiepileptic activity on rat models.
Gradient of the First Order Reduced Density Matrix. A Look at two Charge-Shift Bonds
Authors: Hernández-Lechuga Karem , Hernández-Pérez Julio-Manuel , Ho Minhhuy
Published: March 2022

This article reports a generalization of the study of the 1-RDM cut along the bond axis for polyatomic molecules; the use of its gradient to partition 1-RDM maps into regions that are directly related to atomic orbital interactions. Gradient maps of various diatomics reveal insights that are not apparent in the 1-RDM or density maps. Studies of two charge-shift bonds show that although the two share common features, there are important differences that are not detected neither by density based analysis nor valence bond theory. The results suggest the gradient of 1-RDM as a valuable tool in bond analysis.
Surrounded by Concrete: Genetic Isolation of Tillandsia Recurvata L. in an Urban Landscape in South-Eastern Brazil
Authors: Quail Megan Rhianne , Ramos Flavio Nunes , Dallimore Thom , Ashton Paul , Clayton-Brown Jennifer , Provan Jim , Batke Sven Peter
Published: March 2022

Increasing urban expansion has resulted in the decline of many natural and semi-natural communities globally. However, the connectivity and genetic structure of species that survive in these urban landscapes has received little attention, especially with regard to epiphytic plants. The aims of this study were to 1) investigate how an urban landscape can impact the connectivity and genetic structure of Tillandsia recurvata, L., a highly abundant and widely distributed atmospheric epiphyte; to 2) understand what the driving landscape factors are that affects connectivity and structure; and to 3) discuss how urbanisation can affect genetic structure in epiphytes. A total of 288 T. recurvata individuals were sampled across 65 trees throughout the city of Alfenas in South-East Brazil. We designed seven novel microsatellite markers and used four cross-amplified loci to determine the basic genetic structure of T. recurvata. All populations showed high global spatial genetic structure (SGS) and population differentiation. The high SGS of T. recurvata indicated low connectivity between urban populations, with strong evidence to suggest that this was the result of small population size and genetic drift. Pasture trees outside of the urban landscape are likely to be an important source of gene flow to isolated urban epiphyte populations. This study represents an important step towards understanding epiphyte population structure within urban landscapes. Low connectivity across urban landscapes is likely to benefit epiphytes such as T. recurvata due to their adaptability and high tolerance; suggesting a bleak future for many other more sensitive epiphyte species under predicted urbanisation globally.
Surgical Apgar score is significantly useful as a predictor of major complications after thoracic spinal surgery: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Shibao Yosuke , Miura Kousei , Koda Masao , Asada Tomoyuki , Sato Kosuke , Eto Fumihiko , Kono Mamoru , Mataki Kentaro , Kumagai Hiroshi , Nagashima Katsuya , Noguchi Hiroshi , Takahashi Hiroshi , Funayama Toru , Tatsumura Masaki , Yamazaki Masashi
Published: March 2022

Background: Prediction of postoperative complications and management based on that prediction are important for improving outcomes. The surgical Apgar score, a simple score for surgical outcomes, has been used to predict postoperative complications. The purpose of this study was to investigate the usefulness of the surgical Apgar score to predict major complications after thoracic spinal surgery. Methods: The subjects were 104 patients who underwent thoracic spinal surgery at a single institution from 2014 to 2018. Background patient and disease characteristics assessed included age, gender, body mass index (BMI), comorbidities (diabetes, hypertension or coronary artery disease), anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications, preoperative hemoglobin, controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score, and American Society of Anesthesiologists-Physical Status (ASA-PS) classification. Surgical factors evaluated were operative time, approach, presence of instrumentation, and multiple intervertebral surgery. The surgical Apgar score was calculated from intraoperative estimated blood loss, minimum heart rate, and minimum mean blood pressure. Major complications were defined as unexpected elongation of intubation for more than 48 hours, postoperative blood transfusion (bleeding) of more than 4U in 72 hours, coronary artery disease, renal failure, cerebrovascular disease, sepsis, pneumonia, severe delirium, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism (PE), or wound complications. Postoperative hospitalization days were also investigated. A multivariate statistical analysis was performed using stepwise logistic regression. The occurrence of complications and the duration of postoperative hospitalization were compared using a t-test. A p-value of <0.05 was considered significant.Results: Major complications were observed in 19 (18.3%) patients; these were bleeding (8 patients), delirium and wound complications (4 patients each) PE (2 patients) and pneumonia and acute kidney injury (1 patient each). The multivariate analysis revealed that the surgical Apgar score (odds ratio=0.3) was significantly associated with major complications. Postoperative hospital stay was significantly longer in patients with complications (59 days) than in patients without complications (36 days; p=0.0015).Conclusion: The surgical Apgar score is an objective index that can be easily calculated from anesthesia records, and this study suggests that it may be useful in predicting major complications after thoracic spinal surgery.
Face, Content, and Construct Validity Evaluation of Simulation Models in General Surgery Laparoscopic Training and Education: A Systematic Review.
Authors: Rueda-Esteban Roberto Javier , Lopez-McCormick Juan Sebastian , Rodriguez-Bermeo Stefania , Andrade Mateo , Hernández Juan David , Targarona Eduardo M
Published: March 2022

Background: Laparoscopic technical surgical skills (LTS) are considered a fundamental competence for General Surgery residents. Several simulation tools (ST) have been explored to develop these skills. Although a plethora of systematic reviews evaluate the translation of LTS developed in simulation to real surgery, there is a lack of evidence that clarifies effectiveness of different validated ST in acquisition of LTS in surgical residents. The aim of this systematic review (SR) is to summarize current published evidence on ST validation used for general surgery education and training.Methods: An initial protocol was published in PROSPERO, under registration number: CRD42020205397. A SR of the literature was carried out following PRISMA guidelines. Complete published articles in English or Spanish that validate either content or construct, plus another form of validation of ST to acquire LTS in general surgery were included. Articles that used only one validation strategy or did not validate an ST were excluded.Results: 1052 publications were initially identified across all searched databases. Title review identified 204 studies which were eligible for full text screening. 10 studies were included for final review. Two studies assessed both face and content, four face and construct, and four face, content and construct validity. None of the studies presented comparable outcomes due to metrics variation and scores used for the validation strategies.Conclusions: This study assessed validated laparoscopic simulation models, with particular interest in content and construct validity. Articles reported an increased use of simulation models in laparoscopic training with positive feedback from trainees, but few studies reported validation of training model. Validation strategies are not standardized, limiting comparability between them.
Impact of COVID-19 Epidemic on the Incidence and Mortality of Tuberculosis by Regions in Taiwan
Authors: Lin En-Cheng , Hong Chien-Hui
Published: March 2022

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant health and public issue in many countries. Its incidence and mortality have been decreasing in many countries. The recent COVID-19 could have significant impacts on the transmission and health care for this chronic disease by obligatory facial masking and by affecting healthcare capacities. We asked whether the trend of TB incidence and mortality would be affected by COVID-19 epidemic due to their common air transmission route. We also asked whether the incidence of TB in regions with different COVID-19 incidence would be similar. We obtained the annular new cases of TB and multi-drug resistant TB through Taiwan CDC and estimated the incidence and mortality by the population numbers in 7 administrative regions in Taiwan in 2011–2021. The result showed that incidences of TB and multi-drug resistant TB in recent 10 years show a continuously decreasing trend, even amid the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020-21. In addition, the mortality of TB shows similar decreasing trend in 2020-21. From 2011–2011, the highest incidence of TB was in the southern and eastern Taiwan whereas the lowest incidence of TB was in northern Taiwan. In contrast, the highest incidence of COVID-19 in 2020-21 was in the northern Taiwan while the lowest incidence of COVID-19 in 2020-21 is in the southern and eastern Taiwan. These results indicated that in the low COVID-19 incidence regions of Taiwan, the incidence of TB remained high during COVID-19 pandemic. We concluded that the decreasing trend of incidence and mortality of TB does not change during COVID-19 epidemic in Taiwan. The mask wearing and social distancing could prevent the transmission of COVID-19, however, their effect on the limiting spread of TB may be limited.
Exploring the Medicinally Important Scondary Metabolites Landscape Through the Lens of Transcriptome Data in Fenugreek (Trigonella Foenum Graecum L.)
Authors: Naika Mahantesha B.N. , Sathyanarayanan Nitish , Sajeevan Radha Sivarajan , Bhattacharyya Teerna , Ghosh Pritha , Meenakshi Iyer S. , Jarjapu Mahita , Joshi Adwait G. , Harini K. , Shafi K. Mohamed , Kalmankar Neha V. , Karpe Snehal D. , Mam Bhavika , Pasha Shaik Naseer , Sowdhamini Ramanathan
Published: March 2022

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) is a self-pollinated leguminous crop belonging to the Fabaceae family. It is a multipurpose crop used as herb, spice, vegetable and forage. It is a traditional medicinal plant in India attributed with several nutritional and medicinal properties including antidiabetic and anticancer. We have performed a combined transcriptome assembly from RNA sequencing data derived from leaf, stem and root tissues. Around 2,09,831 transcripts were deciphered from the assembly of 92% completeness and an N50 of 1382 bases. Whilst secondary metabolites of medicinal value, such as trigonelline, diosgenin, 4-hydroxyisoleucine and quercetin, are distributed in several tissues, we report transcripts that bear sequence signatures of enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of such metabolites and are highly expressed in leaves, stem and roots. One of the antidiabetic alkaloid, trigonelline and its biosynthesising enzyme, is highly abundant in leaves. These findings are of value to nutritional and the pharmaceutical industry.
Efficient Adaptive Schemes to Use Reduced-Order Models for Fast Simulation of Water-Oil Displacement
Authors: Assareh Mehdi , Shirzad Goran , Poortoolabi Armin
Published: March 2022

Reservoir simulation is a CPU intensive task since it solves a set of fully implicit non-linear equations, the full-order model (FOM). Despite advances in computer processors, reducing simulation time is still a challenge especially for production optimization where hundreds of simulation runs are required. An acceptable approximation of reservoir dynamic model can be obtained when the model order is reduced. However, this leads to inaccuracies. These inaccuracies in the reduced-order models (ROMs) are addressed in here, using adaptive schemes to switch between the FOM and ROM. The proposed schemes are evaluated using coarse/fine grid homogenous and heterogenous case study models. These case studies are analyzed through 5-spot and inverted 5-spot patterns of production and injection wells for water flooding. Initially, the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) is used to reduce the (FOM) for water flooding simulation. Snapshots are taken in FOMs’ runs to build ROMs. The average absolute deviation percent of the constructed ROMs relative to FOMs are less than 10% in most cases. The runtimes in ROMs are about 80% less than that of FOMs. A sensitivity analysis (based on case studies) is employed to determine the optimal period for snapshots and shock ranges. Three adaptive schemes (water breakthrough, injection-production intensity, and recovery factor) are proposed to switch between FOM and ROM in appropriate simulation timesteps. The best adaptive ROM scheme for heterogenous model is injection-production intensity while for homogenous reservoir model is recovery factor. This study shows increased accuracy for adaptive ROMs while simulation runtime is reduced by 50% for coarse homogenous and heterogonous reservoir models and 20% for the fine-grid model. ROM fidelity for inverted 5-spot pattern is more than that of 5-spot pattern.
Thoracic Endovascular Repair (TEVAR) for Blunt Traumatic Thoracic Aortic Injury: Long-Term Results.
Authors: Minici Roberto , Serra Raffaele , Ierardi Anna Maria , Petullà Maria , Bracale Umberto Marcello , Carrafiello Gianpaolo , Laganà Domenico
Published: March 2022

Background:Blunt traumatic thoracic aortic injury (TAI) is a critical injury with high mortality and an uncertain prognosis. In the last twenty years, thoracic endovascular repair (TEVAR) has become the treatment of choice compared to surgery, as it reduces mortality and morbidity. To date, a few studies evaluated long-term clinical and radiological follow-up of TEVAR for blunt traumatic TAI. The main concerns related to long-term follow-up relate to late endograft-related complications, morphological changes in the aorta and the consequences of life-long surveillance in terms of cumulative radiation dose.Results:Technical success was achieved in 38 procedures (100%). The TEVAR-related mortality rate was 0%. No immediate major complications related to the endovascular procedure were observed. The median duration of diagnostic follow-up was 80 months. A total of 4 procedure-related complications (10.5%) were identified at the follow-up. Three (7.9%) distal infoldings and collapses of the thoracic endoprosthesis and one (2.6%) type Ia endoleak were observed. No thrombosis of the prosthesis, nor signs of aortic pseudocoarctation were identified. No further complications related to endograft (endoleaks, infections, rupture, partial or complete thrombosis) occurred. No changes in the native aorta, stenosis, or increases in the endograft’s diameters were observed. A total of 20 patients (52.6%) underwent MRI-angiography examinations, while a total of 34 patients (89.5%) underwent chest radiographs at the follow-up. In all cases, CT-angiography examinations were performed at the follow-up.Conclusions:The consequences of lifelong surveillance deserve special consideration in younger patients treated with thoracic endovascular repair (TEVAR) for blunt traumatic thoracic aortic injury (TAI). Procedure-related complications were observed within one year of TEVAR, limiting concerns related to the durability of the prosthesis. No morphological changes in the aorta were observed despite long-term follow-up.
Fault-based Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis in Regions with Low Strain Rates and a Thick Seismogenic Layer: A Case Study from Malawi
Authors: Williams Jack , Werner Maximillian , Goda Katsuichiro , Wedmore Luke , De Risi Raffaele , Biggs Juliet , Md Hassan , Dulanya Zuze , Fagereng Åke , Mphepo Felix , Chindandali Patrick
Published: March 2022

In low strain rate regions, extrapolation of incomplete instrumental earthquake records is a limitation for probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA). This limitation can be addressed by incorporating geologic and geodetic data into fault-based seismogenic sources, although it is not always clear how on-fault magnitude-frequency distributions should be described and, if the seismogenic layer is especially thick, how these sources should be extrapolated down-dip. We explore these issues in the context of a new PSHA for Malawi, where regional extensional rates are 0.5-2 mm/yr, the seismogenic layer is 30-40 km thick, the instrumental catalog is ~60 years long, and fault-based sources were recently collated in the Malawi Seismogenic Source Database. Furthermore, Malawi is one of several countries along the East African Rift where exposure to seismic hazard is growing, but PSHA typically considers instrumental records alone. We use stochastic event catalogs to explore different fault-source down-dip extents and magnitude-frequency distributions. These indicate that hazard levels are highest for a Gutenberg-Richter on-fault magnitude-frequency distribution, even at low probabilities of exceedance (2% in 50 years), whilst seismic hazard levels are also sensitive to how relatively short (<50 km) fault sources are extrapolated down-dip. For sites close to fault sources (<40 km), seismic hazard levels are doubled compared to previous instrumental-seismicity based PSHA in Malawi. Cumulatively, these results highlight the need for careful fault source modelling in PSHA of low strain rate regions, and the need for new fault-based PSHA elsewhere in East Africa.