bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hyperglycemic conditions induce rapid cell dysfunction-promoting transcriptional alterations in human aortic endothelial cells
Authors: Bayaraa Odmaa , Inman Claire K. , Thomas Sneha A. , Jallaf Fatima Al , Idaghdour Youssef , Ashall Louise
Published: June 2022

Hyperglycemia is a major risk factor in the development of diabetic complications and promotes vascular complications through dysregulation of endothelial cell function. Various mechanisms have been proposed for endothelial cell dysregulation but the early transcriptomic alterations of endothelial cells under hyperglycemic conditions are not well documented. Here we use deep time-series RNA-seq profiling of human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) following exposure to normal (NG) and high glucose (HG) conditions over a time course from baseline to 24 hours to identify the early and transient transcriptomic changes, alteration of molecular networks, and their temporal dynamics. The analysis revealed that the most significant pathway activation/inhibition events take place in the 1- to 4-hour transition and identified distinct clusters of genes that underlie a cascade of coordinated transcriptional events unique to HG conditions. Temporal co-expression and causal network analysis implicate the activation of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and growth factor signalling pathways including STAT3 and NF-κB. These results document HAEC transcriptional changes induced by hyperglycemic conditions and provide basic insight into the rapid molecular alterations that promote endothelial cell dysfunction.
Gene signatures and cancer-immune phenotypes based on expression of WTAP and YTHDF1 in breast cancer patients
Authors: Peng Huoping , Sun Zhengkui
Published: June 2022

Background: N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification, which serves as a critical regulator of transcript expression, plays an important role in regulating immune response in cancer patients. Wilms’ tumor 1-associated protein (WTAP) and YTH N6-Methyladenosine RNA Binding Protein 1 (YTHDF1) are respectively considered as encoder and reader in m6A regulation. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between WTAP and YTHDF1 gene and immunological features of breast cancer.Methods: We investigated expression of WTAP and YTHDF1 in 1171 breast cancer samples in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Patients were divided into two groups with a consensus clustering method based on WTAP and YTHDF1 expression. And then, we compared the clinical information of the patients and performed gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) to determine the differences in functions between two groups. Immune infiltration analysis was performed using Estimate, CIBERSORT and single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA). In addition, the expression of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICIS) targets and tumor mutational burden were assessed in the tumor samples.Results: We determined two distinct groups of breast cancer. Group 1 had higher expression of WTAP and lower expression of YTHDF1, and group 2 expressed reversely. Group 2 had higher N stage and pathological stage compared to group 1. Group1 had stronger immune infiltration and higher expression of ICIS targets. In addition, WGCNA identified 15 genes, that were associated with WTAP and YTHDF1 expression and immune score.Conclusions: WTAP and YTHDF1 affect the immune environment of breast cancer and may have the potential to provide new targets for immunotherapy of patients.
Long-range hybrid plasmonic waveguide of graded-index InGaAsP active layer based on InP
Authors: Al-janaby Watheq Fahem Shneen , Ameen Sabah Mahdi Mohammad
Published: June 2022

Indium Phosphide (InP)-based hybrid plasmonic waveguide for nanoscale optical confinement and long-range propagation at wavelength 1.55 µm has been proposed in this paper. In this structure, the InGaAsP layer is designed as a ridge with a gold cap by intervening a ridge of the InP layer between them. InGaAsP lattices are suitable for that of an InP substrate. In1 − xGaxAsyP1−y was graded in refractive index by changing the mole-fraction. Using a graded index, the confinement and the propagation length can be improved compared with the conventional one. Propagation length of 40 µm is achieved with better confinement as compared with the traditional hybrid ones. Changing only the y parameter with constant x, we get a propagation length greater than the inverse case, that is, changing only the parameter x, as well as better than the base case when the scaling is not included in the design. This is in parallel with good results in the mode effective area( Aeff) and Figure-of-merit (FoM) for the same condition of changing y which expresses a good confinement condition. The pioneering program COMSOL Multiphysics was used to simulate the designs proposed in this paper.
Environmental Assessment of Casual Dining Restaurants in Urban and Suburban Areas of Peninsular Malaysia During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Authors: Sha' Nur Salsabiela Md , Sazali Ummi Syahidah , Zolkipli Ahmad Taufiq , Vargas Roberto Quiros , Shafie Farah Ayuni
Published: June 2022

Food waste has been considered a global problem due to its adverse impacts on food security, the environment and the economy; hence needs urgent attention and action. Its generation is still increasing despite the COVID-19 outbreak, which may lead to more waste globally. This study sought the possible environmental impacts of one week of operation of selected casual dining restaurants in urban (Ampang, Kuala Lumpur) and suburban areas (Kota Bharu, Kelantan and Jasin, Melaka) in Peninsular Malaysia during the pandemic. The food waste in this study was classified into three categories: preparation loss, serving loss and customer’s plate waste. Our Material Flow Analysis revealed that the highest food loss in those locations came from preparation loss (51.37%), followed by serving loss (30.95%) and preparation loss (17.8%). Meanwhile, the total average electricity consumption and its carbon footprint for Ampang were 127kWh and 13.87kgCO2e, Kota Bharu 269.8kWh and 29.47kgCO2e, and Jasin 142.2kWh and 15.54kgCO2e, respectively. As for water, Ampang exhibited 22.93m3 total average consumption and 7.91kgCO2e greenhouse emissions from this source, Jasin 17.11m3 and 5.88kgCO2e, and 58.71m3, and Kota Bharu 20.21kgCO2e. Our findings indicate that casual dining restaurants in a suburban area may be a greater carbon emitter than those in the urban area, despite being less developed. Besides, the biggest contributor to food waste generation in this type of restaurant is preparation loss.
Effect of Ethanol Administration on Cadmium and Magnesium Retention in Liver, Kidney and Heart of Rats.
Authors: Ogham Chidi John , DABAK Jonathan
Published: June 2022

There was a health challenge in our study area with no known etiology which affected mostly alcoholics. Water quality assessment in the area, indicated that it is contaminated with cadmium and had high magnesium content. The aim of this work, therefore, was to mimic the co-administration of cadmium and magnesium with graded concentrations of alcohol using a rat model to assess the retention of cadmium in the liver, kidney and heart, in order to give a plausible explanation on the cause(s) of this health challenge. To achieve this aim, rats were randomly divided into eight groups of 4 rats per group in metabolic cages. Group 1 served as normal control and fed with animal Feed and Water only. Group 2 was treated with feed and 6% Alcohol only (Test control). Group 3 to 8 were treated with the combination of cadmium and magnesium and graded concentrations of alcohol (aq). Treatment was done for a period of 21 days, after which the rats were sacrificed, and the assessment of the accumulation of these metals in tissues and their excretion in urine were performed by means of dry mineralization method of Zmudzki (1977) and spectrophotometry. The results revealed that ethanol consumption increases the excretion of magnesium in the urine and increases cadmium uptake in these tissues. This means that alcoholics have higher risk of kidney, liver and heart diseases caused by cadmium toxicity in areas where the water source is polluted with cadmium as it is the case with our study area.
Risk of myocarditis after two doses of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines in the US, 2020-2022: a self- controlled case series study
Authors: Lai Daoyuan , Lu Junfeng , Lim Dickson , Wang Han , Zhang Yan Dora
Published: June 2022

Background: Myocarditis is considered as a potential safety concern after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination; however, limited studies have quantified its risk in the United States population. We aimed to evaluate the risk of myocarditis after BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) or mRNA-1273 (Moderna) vaccination. Methods: We performed a self-controlled case series analysis of myocarditis reports to the US Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) that occurred after the COVID-19 mRNA vaccinations from December 24, 2020 to January 28, 2022. We reported the relative incidence (RI) of myocarditis for various periods after COVID-19 mRNA vaccinations as well as the ratio of the RI after the second dose to the RI after the first dose. Results: 1091 VAERS presumptive myocarditis reports after COVID-19 mRNA vaccinations (median age, 23 years; IQR, 17-36 years; 718 individuals [65.8%] < 30 years; 831 men [76.2%]) were identified. The median time to myocarditis onset was 3 days (IQR, 1-6 days). 824 (75.5%) reports were serious, with 11 (1%) death. We found an increased risk during the 1- to 3-day period after the second dose for both vaccines. The RI was 5.38 (95% CI, 2.20-13.26) for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and 6.12 (95% CI, 2.04-18.97) for the Moderna vaccine. No significant increase was found in other risk periods. This observation was verified by dividing the RI after the second dose by the RI after the first dose. For the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the RI for the period 1 through 3 days after the second dose was 6.33 (95% CI, 3.18-12.61) times as high as that for the same period after the first dose; for the Moderna vaccine, the ratio of RIs was 4.24 (95% CI, 1.94-9.25) for the same risk period. No significant RI differences in other risk periods were identified. A similar increased risk was also detected in people aged below 30 or in males.Conclusions: We found an increased risk of myocarditis for period 1 through 3 days after the second dose of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, especially in male and young adults. Our findings should be interpreted with the limitations of VAERS with considerations with the benefits of receiving COVID-19 mRNA vaccination.
Postoperative Clinical and Functional Outcomes in Patients with Tumor and Tumor-like Lesion of Foot and Ankle
Authors: Kokubu Yasuhiko , Fujiwara Toshifumi , Nakagawa Koh , Setsu Nokitaka , Endo Makoto , Fukushi Jun-ichi , Matsumoto Yoshihiro , Nakashima Yasuharu
Published: June 2022

Background
Tumors and tumor-like lesions of the foot and ankle are relatively rare and their postoperative clinical outcome has not been well reported.
Methods
We retrospectively reviewed medical records of all patients who underwent excision of tumors and tumor-like lesions of the foot and ankle from 2008 to 2020. Preoperative and postoperative clinical outcomes were evaluated by the Japanese Society for Surgery of the Foot (JSSF) scales (pain, function, and alignment).
Results
We analyzed 117 consecutive patients. Bone lesions were 51 patients (benign: 45, intermediate malignancy: 1, malignant: 5), and soft tissue lesions were 66 patients (benign: 57, intermediate malignancy: 2, malignant: 7). Four patients (8%) with the bone tumor, and six (9%) with the soft tissue tumor resulted in recurrence. Eight (67%) patients with malignant lesions were alive continuously disease free and followed for a median of 50.5 (range: 18 to 82) months. Amputation at the first operation was done for five cases (33%) of malignant or intermediate malignancy. Postoperative JSSF scores resulted in significant increase (bone lesion, 75.9 ± 13.7 to 91.4 ± 14.9, p < 0.001; soft tissue lesion, 84.7 ± 14.8 to 91.9 ± 12.5, p < 0.001). The score improvement in bone lesions was significantly higher than in soft tissue lesions (p = 0.003).
Conclusion
Tumors and tumor-like lesions of the foot and ankle showed good functional outcomes. Bone lesions exhibited better improvement than soft tissue lesions.
Nano-genome editors accelerate mRNA cleavage through spatial confinement effect and reverse liver fibrosis by chemogene therapy
Authors: Gu Jiayu , Sun Jingfang , Tian Kun , Bian Jinlei , Peng Juanjuan , Xu Shu , Zhao Lingzhi
Published: June 2022

Liver fibrosis is a chronic disease without effective treatment in the clinic. Gene editing systems such as the well-known CRISPR/Cas9 have shown great potential in the biomedical field. However, the delivery of the ribonucleoprotein is challenged by the large size of Cas9 (> 160 kDa) and the instable RNA probe. Recently, a structure-guided endonuclease (SGN) has been reported as an effectigene-editinging system composed of 35 kDa nuclease and stable DNA probes, which can regulate the protein expression by targeting specific mRNA outside the nucleus. Here, we conjugated the SGN to a nanomicelle as the delivery system. In the resulting material, the chance of the collision between the endonuclease and the probe was raised due to the confinement of the two components within the 40-nm nanomicelle, thus the mRNA can be cleaved immediately after being captured by the probe, resulting in a space-induced nucleotide identification-cleavage acceleration effect. The delivery system was used to treat liver fibrosis via the co-delivery of SGN and a drug rosiglitazone to the hepatic stellate cells, which separately downregulated the expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloprotease-1 and inactivated the hepatic stellate cells. The system successfully reversed the liver fibrosis in mice through the bidirectional regulatory that simultaneously promoted the degradation and inhibited the production of the collagen, demonstrating the great potency of the SGN system as gene medicine.
Effect of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor and Angiotensin Receptor Blocker on Oxidative Stress and Metabolism of elements in Kidney of STZ-Induced Diabetic Rats
Authors: Ozcelik Dervis , Tuncdemir Matem
Published: June 2022

In diabetes, increased oxidative stress and impaired trace element metabolism have an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of renin-anigiotensin system blockage, either by the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI), perindopril, or the angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor blocker, irbesartan, on oxidative stress and trace element levels including Zn, Mg, Cu and Fe in the kidneys of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Thirty-two Wistar albino male rats were equally divided into four groups. The first group was used as a control. The second group was made diabetic using a single dose of intraperitoneal STZ. STZ-diabetic rats that treated with irbesartan(15 mg/kg b.w/day) and perindropril(6 mg/kg b.w/day) formed the third and fourth groups, respectively. Biochemical analysis of kidneys revealed a marked increase in oxidative stress demonstrated by increased malondialdehyde (MDA) content and decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels in diabetic rats' kidneys. In the kidneys of the diabetic rats, the mean levels of Fe and Cu were found significantly higher, in comparison to the control, whereas the mean levels of Zn and Mg were significantly lower than in the control rats. Both perindopril and irbesartan decreased significantly MDA content and increased SOD activities and GSH levels in the kidneys of diabetic rats. The concentrations of Zn and Mg in the kidneys of the diabetic rats that were treated with perindopril and irbesartan were found to be significantly higher than in the untreated STZ-diabetic rats, while Cu and Fe concentrations were significantly lower. The level of Cu was significantly higher in the urinary excretion of rats treated with perindopril and irbesartan, while Zn and Mg were also found to be significantly lower. Although the kidneys of diabetic rats showed degenerative morphological changes, both treatments also ameliorated diabetes-induced histopathological changes in the kidneys. Finally, the present results suggest that modulation of Zn, Mg, Cu and Fe, either by ACE inhibition or by AT1 receptor blockage, may be beneficial in reducing lipid peroxidation and increasing antioxidants levels in diabetic rats' kidneys.
Clinical characteristics and treatment of “cytopenia phenotype” in Behçet syndrome: A Retrospective Cohort Study using a large data set from a referral center in China
Authors: Shen Yan , Shen Lin , Luo Dan , Ma Hai-fen , Jian Lei-lei , Cai Jian-fei , Zou Jun , Guan Jian-long
Published: June 2022

Objectives: This study aimed to describe the characteristics, treatment, and outcome of hematological involvement and assess possible association to define a “cytopenia phenotype” in BS patients. Methods: This was a retrospective study of BS patients in Shanghai Behçet syndrome database who were diagnosed with hematological involvement between October 2012 and December 2021. Results: A total of 40 BS patients with cytopenia were included (2.1%, 40/1950), the median follow-up duration was 35 (3-92) months. They presented high rate of trisomy 8 in the bone marrow (n=33, 82.5%). BS patients with cytopenia were more likely to be older age, female and have fewer skin lesions. Gastrointestinal (GI) ulceration, fever and high level of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were more frequent in BS patients with cytopenia. Ulcers in the ileocecal, small intestine and colon region and symptoms such as abdominal pain, weight loss and fever were more frequently seen in intestinal BS patients with cytopenia. All these cytopenia BS patients received standard guideline treatment regimens. In the follow-up, eight BS patients with cytopenia (8/40, 20.0%) died, 9 (22.5%) had not improved. As compared to alive BS patients, died BS patients were more likely to be older age and have high level of ESR.Conclusions:BS patients with cytopenia displayed a high rate of somatic mutations trisomy 8, GI involvement and high risk of death. Management of cytopenia was highly heterogeneous and many of the current treatment options are highly variable and suboptimal.
Association of IRX6 rs6499755 and HAAO rs3816183 polymorphisms with hypospadias susceptibility in Chinese population
Authors: Yu Yuping , Liu Nan , Chen Ziying , Shu Jianbo , Chen Xiaofang , Xu Guodong , Cai Chunquan
Published: June 2022

Background
Hypospadias is one of the most common male congenital external genital malformations anomalies with unclear and multifactorial etiology. Our study is aimed to investigate whether IRX6 rs6499755 and HAAO rs3816183 polymorphisms are susceptible to hypospadias in the Chinese population.
Methods
We enrolled 113 patients with hypospadias and 182 healthy controls in the case-control study. Genotyping of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was performed using High Resolution Melting (HRM). 113 hypospadias cases were further divided into anterior, middle and posterior subgroups for analysis. Otherwise, we performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the relationship in multiple populations.
Results
The risk allele [C] of IRX6 rs6499755 was significantly associated with susceptibility to general hypospadias (OR = 1.547, p = 0.01), anterior hypospadias (OR = 3.579, p = 0.003) and posterior hypospadias (OR = 1.737, p = 0.005). Besides, CC genotype carriers showed an increased risk of hypospadias compared with CT + TT carriers (OR = 1.832, p = 0.026). The risk allele [T] of HAAO rs3816183 associated with susceptibility to anterior/middle hypospadias (OR = 1.775, p = 0.046). A combined analysis of both two SNPs was performed, showing a cumulative effect (OR = 1.337, p = 0.02). The results of meta-analysis (including 3789 cases and 9241 controls) indicated that rs6499755 and rs3816183 were significantly associated with hypospadias (both p༜0.00001).
Conclusions
IRX6 rs6499755and HAAO rs3816183 polymorphisms are associated with hypospadias in a Chinese population, and the risk alleles of both two variants cluster more frequently in patients. The meta-analysis supports the hypothesis that rs6499755 and rs3816183 are the susceptibility loci for hypospadias. Further studies are needed to make the pathogenesis clearly.
Outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 Reinfection
Authors: Al-Aly Ziyad , Bowe Benjamin , Xie Yan
Published: June 2022

First infection with SARS-CoV-2 is associated with increased risk of acute and post-acute death and sequelae in the pulmonary and extrapulmonary organ systems. However, whether reinfection adds to the risk incurred after the first infection is not clear. Here we use the national health care databases of the US Department of Veterans Affairs to build a cohort of people with first infection (n = 257,427), reinfection (2 or more infections, n = 38,926), and a non-infected control group (n = 5,396,855) to estimate risks and 6-month burdens of all-cause mortality, hospitalization, and a set of pre-specified incident outcomes. We show that compared to people with first infection, reinfection contributes additional risks of all-cause mortality, hospitalization, and adverse health outcomes in the pulmonary and several extrapulmonary organ systems (cardiovascular disorders, coagulation and hematologic disorders, diabetes, fatigue, gastrointestinal disorders, kidney disorders, mental health disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, and neurologic disorders); the risks were evident in those who were unvaccinated, had 1 shot, or 2 or more shots prior to the second infection; the risks were most pronounced in the acute phase, but persisted in the post-acute phase of reinfection, and most were still evident at 6 months after reinfection. Compared to non-infected controls, assessment of the cumulative risks of repeated infection showed that the risk and burden increased in a graded fashion according to the number of infections. The constellation of findings show that reinfection adds non-trivial risks of all-cause mortality, hospitalization, and adverse health outcomes in the acute and post-acute phase of the reinfection. Reducing overall burden of death and disease due to SARS-CoV-2 will require strategies for reinfection prevention.
COPD awareness among the Syrian community: population-based study
Authors: Hadakie Rana , Kakaje Ameer , Kwatly Khalil Al , Haddad Shaden
Published: June 2022

IntroductionChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common disease worldwide that is among the top causes of mortality. This study aims to estimate the awareness of COPD among the Syrian population as COPD can be prevented and has a high prevalence in Syria. MethodsA cross-sectional anonymous self-administered online survey was conducted by using Google Forms on Social Media platforms. The questionnaire included demographic, smoke related and COPD related questions.ResultsThis study included 1608 participants with 930 (57.8%) being females, about 40% was in the age range of 21-25 years, more than 90% were university students/graduates and 67.8% were living in Syrian cities. Around half of participant were either active smokers or negative/second-hand smokers. When excluding participants in health-related fields, only 25.4% have ever heard of the term COPD, of which, approximately three quarters were able to identify what COPD is and answered most questions correctly. Knowing about COPD did not affect smoking habits. No significant differences in awareness among city and countryside, among governates, between genders and age groups. Being in a health-related field was a major factor of increased awareness.ConclusionCOPD awareness in Syria is low, even amongst the well-education population. COPD risk factors are very common among the Syrian population such as actively smoking and indoors and outdoors exposure to pollutants. More awareness campaigns are needed with studies to suggest the best way to tackle this issue.
Retinal Macrophage-Like Cells as a Novel Clinical Biomarker in Retinal Vein
Authors: Maltsev Dmitrii S. , Kulikov Alexey , Volkova Yaroslava , Burnasheva Maria , Vasiliev Alexander
Published: June 2022

Aim: To study the macrophage-like cells (MLC) of the inner retinal surface in eyes with retinal vein occlusions (RVO) and association of MLC with clinical characteristics of RVO.Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, for treatment-naïve patients with unilateral RVO and no abnormalities of vitreoretinal interface electronic medical records and multimodal imaging data were reviewed and analyzed.To visualize MLC, structural projections of optical coherence tomography (OCT) angiography scans within a slab between two inner limiting membrane segmentation lines (with 0 and -9 µm offset) were evaluated. The density of MLC was calculated and compared between affected and fellow eye regarding different OCT and clinical characteristics of RVO.Results: Thirty-six eyes (28 branch RVO and 8 central RVO of 36 patients (21 males and 15 females, mean age 48.9 ± 9.8 years) were included. The density of MLC in affected eye was statistically significantly higher than that in fellow eye, 8.5 ± 5.5 and 4.0 ± 3.6 cells/mm2, respectively (P < 0.001). The MLC number in the affected eye correlated statistically significantly that of the fellow eye (r = 0.76, p = 0.0001) but with none of OCT and clinical characteristics of the affected eye except for the presence of subfoveal fluid. Eyes with subfoveal fluid had statistically significantly higher mean number of MLC that that in eyes without subfoveal fluid, 12.6 ± 6.3 and 6.9 ± 4.0 cells/mm2, respectively (P = 0.009).Conclusion: The number of MLC on the inner retinal surface increases in RVO eyes and may reflect activation of inflammatory reactions.
Expression of TMEM59L associated with radiosensitive in glioblastoma
Authors: Gao Dezhi , Peng Wang , Zhi Lin , Sun Shibin , Liu Yanwei , Qiu Xiaoguang
Published: June 2022

Background:Radiotherapy (RT) is one of the cornerstone of the glioblastoma (GBM) treatment paradigm. RT can significantly improve the prognosis of GBM; however, the resistance of tumor cells to radiation results in poor survival. The mechanism of radioresistance has not been fully elucidated.Methods：The differentially expressed genes were screened based on RNA sequencing dataset of 226 primary glioblastomas and 134 recurrent glioblastomas that have undergone radiotherapy, combined with 15 pairs of primary and recurrent GBM obtained from the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas. Real-time quantitative PCR was performed in three irradiated GBM cell lines（U87, LN229 and U251）to verify the result. The selected gene was investigated to the relationship between mRNA levels and clinical characteristics in the CGGA and TCGA dataset. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression analysis were used for survival analysis. Gene ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway analysis was used for bioinformatics analysis.Results:TMEM59L expression was significantly elevated in recurrent GBM who have received radiotherapy. The result was validated in three irradiated GBM cells. The high-expression of TMEM59L was enriched in IDH mutant and MGMT methylated gliomas and associated with a better prognosis. Gene ontology and KEGG pathway analysis demonstrated that TMEM59L was closely associated with cell proliferation, apoptosis, drug response, and DNA damage. Conclusion：TMEM59L expression was increased after irradiation and resulted in longer survival. We speculated that the high expression of TMEM59L might affect radiotherapy sensitivity by contributing to reactive oxygen species and DNA damage repair.
Experimental investigation to identify galaxy clusters using HDF5 and 3D matrix.
Authors: Rai Alok , Sen Snigdha , Chakraborty Pavan
Published: June 2022

Recent advances in astronomy have shifted observational astronomy toward data-driven astronomy, with an exponential increase in data associated with celestial objects. If we can handle this massive amount of quickly changing data, we will be able to detect galaxy clusters, revealing a wealth of vital information about the evolution of the universe. In this paper, we have proposed a novel clustering technique that can handle massive amounts of rapidly changing data in real time. In this clustering technique, we have used 3D sparse matrix where each cell of the 3D matrix can be used to locate/identify a neighbor against the central galactic coordinate. In our investigation, we also used HDF5 to store and organize the discovered galaxy clusters so that we didn’t have to re-run our algorithm every time a new coordinate was encountered. Following preparation, the astronomical data containing the galactic coordinates RA, DEC, and radial distance obtained from redshift is input into our developed algorithm to identify, store, and depict the galaxy clusters.
Development of a multivariable prediction model to assess potential drug-drug interactions in chronic kidney disease patients
Authors: Paul Soumyajeet , Rudra Ananya , Bhattacharjee Suparna , Thunga Girish , Attur Ravindra Prabhu , Kunhikatta Vijayanarayana
Published: June 2022

Background Drug-drug interactions are highly prevalent in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, owing to the progressive deterioration in renal function, existence of various comorbidities, and use of multiple drugs to treat them. Aim To evaluate the number and types of potential drug-drug interactions (pDDIs) observed in the study population and to develop a pDDI prediction model based on various risk factors. Method A retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary care teaching hospital with 392 CKD patients. The relevant patient demographics and clinical details were collected and documented in case record forms. Using different drug interaction detecting databases, the acquired data were screened to identify and classify pDDIs. Poisson regression was used to identify independent risk factors associated with the number of pDDIs. Data entry and analysis were done using IBM SPSS software v20.0. Results Mean age of the study population was 45.97 ± 10.32 years and almost 87% of the population belonged to stage 5 of CKD. A total of 2054 interacting drug pairs were found from the 392 patient files screened, out of which about 55.6% of the interactions were of moderate severity. Male gender, comorbid conditions like ischemic heart disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and congestive heart failure, a higher number of therapeutic subgroups, and drugs per prescription were identified as independent risk factors associated with an increase in the number of pDDIs. The presence of liver disease was the only factor that reduced the number of pDDIs. Conclusion This study can play a significant role in the early prediction of pDDIs using prior information about the patient characteristics and attributes of various administered drugs in CKD patients.
Introduced, mixed, and peripheral: conservation of mitochondrial-DNA lineages in the wild boar (Sus scrofa L.) population in the Urals
Authors: Markov Nickolay I. , Ranyuk Maryana N. , Babaev Elmar A. , Seryodkin Ivan V. , Senchik Alexander V. , Bykova Elena V. , Esipov Alexander V. , Nurtazin Sabir T. , Matrosova Vera A.
Published: June 2022

Translocations and introductions are important events that allow organisms to overcome natural barriers. The genetic background of colonization success and genetic consequences of establishment of populations in new environments are of great interest for predicting species’ colonization success. The wild boar (Sus scrofa L.) has been introduced into many parts of the world. We analyzed sequences of the mitochondrial-DNA control region in the wild boars introduced into the Ural region and compared them with sequences from founder populations (from Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Far East). We found that the introduced population has high genetic diversity. Haplotypes from all the major phylogenetic clades were detected in the analyzed group of the animals from the Urals. In this group, no haplotypes identical to Far-Eastern sequences were detectable despite a large number of founders from that region. The contribution of lineages originating from Eastern Europe was greater than expected from proportions (%) of European and Asian animals in the founder populations. This is the first study on genetic diversity and structure of a wild boar population of mixed origin at the northern periphery of this species’ geographical range.
Modelling climatically and ecologically suitable environment for benthic foraminiferal species
Authors: Abduljamiu Amao , Hallock Pamela , Kaminski Michael A. , Argadestya Ignatius , Frontalini Fabrizio
Published: June 2022

Benthic foraminifera are unicellular eukaryotic organisms that play significant roles in marine food webs. Monitoring changes in their distributions and abundances are crucial to understand their roles and functions and to predict the effects of environmental impacts and climatic changes. Numerous biotic and abiotic factors influence foraminiferal distribution and abundance, but the ecology of individual taxa (i.e., autoecology) is difficult to define and this commonly results in a generalization of functions in their environment. In this study, we explore methods for inferring foraminiferal species ecology and niche requirements using Species Distribution Models (SDM). We modelled the distributions of four benthic species (i.e., Peneroplis planatus, P. pertusus, P. arietinus and Coscinospira hemprichii) that host algal endosymbionts against a large collection of predictors (ecologically meaningful environmental variables, EMEV) variables in the Arabian Gulf. To identify combinations of effective predictor variables, we compiled several models and then selected three with different variable set combinations to compare their predictive performance. Mean iron concentration, diffusion attenuation, and dissolved oxygen were identified as the most important variables determining the distribution of these species. Our model successfully predicts their current habitat suitability in the Arabian Gulf (AUROC = 92%). The model also identified areas along the western coastline of the Gulf as highly suitable habitats for the four species (Habitat Suitability Index > 0.8). Then, the model was spatially extended over the world’s oceans and marginal seas, reliably identifying areas with known distributions of the four species (AUROC = 89%). Here we demonstrate how a SDM model can be a useful tool in capturing complex habitat features for benthic organisms. Such models, when correctly applied using several remotely sensed environmental and geological variables, can be a very useful ecological tool for spatial and temporal predictions even in the current context of global climate change.
An investigation into the hammer toe effects on the lower extremity mechanics and plantar fascia tension: A case for a vicious cycle and progressive damage.
Authors: Moayedi Mohammad , Arshi Ahmad Reza , Salehi Manouchehr , Akrami Mohammad , Asl Noushin Javadi , Naemi Roozbeh
Published: June 2022

Predicting and being aware of the side effects of the damage in one limb on the performance of other limbs is very important in the prevention of progressive damages. Finite element (FE) and musculoskeletal modeling can be helpful in this way. Hence, the aim of this study is to investigate the side effects of the hammer toe deformity on the lower extremity, especially on the plantar fascia functions. To compare the joint reactions of the hammer toe and healthy foot (HF), two musculoskeletal models (MSM) of the healthy and the hammer toe foot (HTF) subject were developed based on gait analysis. A previously validated 3D finite element model was constructed using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the diabetic participant with the hammer toe deformity processed at five different events during the stance phase of gait. It was found that the hammer toe deformity makes dorsiflexion of the toes, and the windlass mechanism is less effective during walking. Specifically, the FE analysis results showed that plantar fascia (PF) in HTF compared to HF played a less dominant role in load bearing with both medial and lateral parts loaded. Also, the results indicated that the stored elastic energy in PF was less in HTF than the HF, which can indicate a metabolic cost during walking. Internal stress distribution shows that the majority of ground reaction forces are transmitted through the lateral metatarsals in hammer toe foot, and the probability of fifth metatarsal fracture and also progressive deformity like tailor's bunion was subsequently increased. The MSM results showed that the joint reaction forces and moments in hammer toe foot have deviated from normal function, with the metatarsophalangeal joint showing that the reactions in hammer toe are less than the healthy foot. This can indicate a viscous cycle of foot deformity, increased internal stresses, change in muscle forces and joint kinetics and plantar fascia tensile forces from normal, which can lead to increase the risk of ulceration in the diabetic foot.
Artificial intelligence curriculum in medical education: a Canadian cross-sectional mixed-methods study
Authors: Pucchio Aidan , BHSc Raahulan Rathagirishnan , Caton Natasha , Gariscsak Peter , Papa Joshua Del , Nabhen Jacqueline Justino , Vo Vicky , Lee Wonjae , de Moraes Fabio Ynoe
Published: June 2022

Emerging artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have diverse applications in medicine. As AI tools advance towards clinical implementation, skills in how to use and interpret AI in a healthcare setting could become integral for physicians. We deployed a 56 question survey to all 17 Canadian medical schools that assessed currently available learning opportunities about AI, the perceived need for AI education, and barriers to educating about AI among undergraduate medical students. Additionally, interviews were conducted with participants to provide narrative context, and analyzed using thematic analysis. The authors received 475 responses from students at 17 of 17 Canadian medical schools. Likert scale survey questions were scored from 1 (disagree) to 5 (agree). Respondents agreed that AI applications in medicine would become common in the future (3.80 ± 0.38) and would improve medicine (3.71 ± 0.54). Further, respondents agreed that they would need to use and understand AI during their medical careers (3.76 ± 0.572; 3.43 ± 0.773), and that AI should be formally taught in medical education (3.43 ± 0.756). In contrast, a significant number of participants indicated that they did not have any formal educational opportunities about AI (1.76 ± 785) and that AI-related learning opportunities were inadequate (2.12 ± 0.802). Interviews with 18 students were conducted, with emerging themes including a lack of formal education opportunities and logistical challenges in adding AI to curriculum. Given that medical students overwhelmingly belief that AI is important to the future of medicine, and the progression of AI tools towards clinical implementation, AI should be considered for inclusion in formal medical curriculum.
Phacotrabeculectomy vs Phacoemulsification Glaucoma coexist Cataracts: a Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Xie Tangshou , Liu Xi , Rao Wenrong , Zhu Jie
Published: June 2022

Purpose: For analysis, clinical outcomes of phacotrabeculectomy versus phacoemulsification in glaucoma coexist cataracts.Methods: we screened only randomized controlled trials comparing clinical outcomes of Phacotrabeculectomy versus Phacoemulsification published before October 2021. Then, we pooled qualified articles for meta-analysis. We estimated pooled weighted mean difference and risk ratio with 95% conference intervals. We conducted fixed-effects models in this meta-analysis.Results: We pooled 10 randomized controlled trials to Meta-analysis. Phacotrabeculectomy has a superior effect in postoperatively intraocular pressure and postoperative anti-glaucoma medications versus phacoemulsification, but an equal effect in best-corrected visual acuity. The complication ratio of phacotrabeculectomy is higher than phacoemulsification. Our article just presented all views of visual fields of included articles because of insufficient data to analyze.Conclusions: Phacotrabeculectomy is more efficient compared to phacoemulsification in glaucoma coexisting cataracts.
Ophthalmic artery Doppler in the complementary diagnosis of preeclampsia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Melo Pollyanna F.M. Vaz , Roever Leonardo , Mendonça Tânia M. S. , Costa Fabrício Silva , Rolnik Daniel Lorber , Diniz Angélica L. D.
Published: June 2022

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of different parameters of the ophthalmic artery Doppler (OAD) in the complementary diagnosis of preeclampsia (PE).Methods: To investigate the mean difference in OAD values, peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity (EDV), second systolic velocity peak (P2), resistance index (RI), pulsatility index (PI), and peak ratio (PR), between PE cases (overall and according to severity) and controls, random-effects meta-analyses were conducted for each Doppler parameter, with overall PE, mild and severe PE subgroups. Diagnostic performance and heterogeneity were evaluated with summary receiver-operating characteristics curves (sROC) and 95% confidence regions, obtained with bivariate modelsResults: Eight studies stratified the results in mild and severe or late and early PE, involving 1,425 pregnant women. PR and P2 had better diagnostic performance than the other indexes, with the PR of AUsROC at 0.885, the sensitivity of 84%, and specificity of 92%, with a low false-positive rate of 0.08 and the P2 with AUsROC of 0.926, the sensitivity of 85% and specificity of 88%. RI, PI, and EDV showed good performance and consistency across studies, but lower AUsROC of 0.833, 0.794, and 0.772, respectively.Conclusion: Ophthalmic artery Doppler is a complementary tool with good performance for diagnosis of overall and severe preeclampsia, with high and best sensitivity and specificity when using PR and P2 parameters.
CrystalNets.jl: Identification of Crystal Topologies
Authors: Zoubritzky Lionel , Coudert François-Xavier
Published: June 2022

We present here an open-source Julia library for the topological identification of crystalline materials, with algorithmic and computational improvements over the previously available software in the field, resulting in a speed increase of one order of magnitude. This new algorithm and implementation can therefore be used at large scale in high-throughput screening methodologies. We have validated and benchmarked CrystalNets.jl against a diverse set of crystal databases, covering in particular metal--organic frameworks, aluminophosphates, zeolites, and other inorganic compounds.
The nexus between interest rate and bank profitability: Does bank prudential capital matter?
Authors: Shahin Rana , Khalil Manal , Sallam Helmy
Published: June 2022

The credit expansion policy and banking regulations have attracted widespread attention of bank regulators and policymakers over the last few years. This research aims to examine how the interest rate, prudential capital, and their interaction impact banking profitability in emerging economies like Egypt. The final sample of banks registered by the Central Bank of Egypt comprises 22 banks during the period of 2011–2020. The cross-sectional time-series Generalized Least Squares (GLS) regression approach is used to estimate the panel data. The findings confirm that low-interest rates indeed harm banks’ profitability. In addition, higher prudential capital enhances the profitability of banks. Importantly, the impact of low-interest rates on bank profitability can be diminished only when banks are maintaining higher prudential capital. Based on the findings, it is recommended that bank managers and policymakers in Egypt as well as in similar emerging economies shall promote the application of the Basel Capital Accord to increasingly strengthen the profitability of banks, which in turn reinforces the performance of the banking sector, especially during low-interest rate times. The findings also reveal that bank-specific characteristics such as large bank size, increased efficiency, and less concentrated market enhance banks’ profitability. Overall, the findings of this research are highly relevant since improved profitability is one of the main objectives of bank supervisors and regulators.
AcknowledgmentsThe authors are grateful to Mr. Ali Shaker and Amira Ragab for their valuable support.
Zakat as a way to overcome poverty in Muslim society
Authors:   Dagestan Islamic University named after Sheikh Muhammad-Arif, Nesturov Said P.
Published: June 2022

This article discusses the importance of zakat — a mandatory payment in favor of the poor and the needy — for Muslim society. The author reveals the essence of zakat, designates the categories of Muslims who are obliged to pay it, indicates to whom exactly it is paid, determines from what kind of property and in what order it should be paid. The article briefly and conveniently provides the norms for paying zakat. The pillars of religion, which are obligatory for execution, cannot lose their significance, which determines the relevance of this work, the purpose of which is to bring to the majority of Muslims the legal norms for establishing and paying zakat. The provisions and arguments given in the article are considered on the basis of a comparative analysis of the significance and role of zakat during the time of the Arab Caliphate with the present time. The study is based on the famous book “Fatawa al-Chohiy” by Muhammad Ali al-Chohiy. This book accumulates fatwas collected from more than a hundred books. Most of the legal decisions were taken from the authoritative books of the Shafi school of law (fiqh). Of even greater interest to this book is the diversity of the problems it addresses. The author in his legal opinions answers questions related to the ritual practice of Muslims, issues of trade, as well as issues of property law, while some fatwas answer questions of Muslim dogma.
Biomedicine and the challenge to Christian values: Orthodox bioethics in the age of biomedical technologies
Authors:   Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Mikhel’ Dmitry V. ,   Institute of World History of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Reznik Oleg N. ,   Pavlov First St Petersburg State Medical University,   St Petersburg Research Institute of Emergency Medicine
Published: June 2022

For thirty years Russia has been living under the conditions of a market economy, and the age of biomedical technology has coexisted for the same amount of time. The Orthodox community views the progress of biomedicine as a challenge to Christian values that needs adequate ethical reflection and response. The response to this challenge is articulated by Orthodox bioethics, which is a systematic knowledge of the boundaries of permissible biomedical manipulation of human life and death. Orthodox scientists who develop bioethics see their task as protecting human dignity, the traditional family, and other Christian values from the dangers posed by the consequences of the spread of new technologies. Ethical problems associated with the spread of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) technology continue to be of relevance for Orthodox bioethics all these years, since they allow the manipulation of human embryos not as individuals, but as simple biological objects. Some of the bioethical proposals drafted by Orthodox scientists have been paired with criticisms of emerging legal regulations and government decisions aimed at supporting IVF. Equally important to Orthodox bioethics are the problems associated with the development of transplantology, since in Russia the legal framework allows organ donation from a deceased donor based on the presumption of consent. Now, the field of transplantology continues to be regulated by legal norms adopted in the early 1990s, which explains the willingness on the part of Orthodox scientists to challenge some of these norms.