bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of cysteine addition to low-fishmeal diets on the growth, anti-oxidative stress, intestine immunity, and Streptococcus agalactiae resistance in juvenile golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus)
Authors: Liu Jia-Xing , Zhu Ke-Cheng , Guo Hua-Yang , Liu Bao-Suo , Zhang Nan , Zhang Dian-Chang
Published: November 2022

As the precursor of taurine, cysteine serves physiological functions, such as anti-oxidative stress and immune improvement. Investigation of cysteine and its derivatives has made positive progress in avian and mammalian species, yet the study and application of cysteine in aquatic animals are relatively rare. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of supplementing a low-fishmeal diet with various levels of cysteine on the growth, antioxidant capacity, intestine immunity, and resistance against Streptococcus agalactiae of the juvenile golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus). According to our study, exogenous supplementation with 0.6-1.2% cysteine greatly increased the final body weight (FBW) and specific growth rate (SGR) of golden pompano compared to the control group. Under the present conditions, the optimum dietary cysteine supplementation level for golden pompano was 0.91% based on the polynomial regression analysis of SGR. Meanwhile, we found that the Nrf2/Keap1/HO-1 signaling pathway was notably upregulated with the increase of exogenous cysteine, which increased antioxidant enzyme activity in serum and gene expression in the intestine and reduced the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the serum of golden pompano. In addition, morphological analysis of the midgut demonstrated that exogenous cysteine improved muscle thickness and villi length, which suggested that the physical barrier of the intestine was greatly strengthened by cysteine. Moreover, cysteine increased the diversity and relative abundance of the intestinal flora of golden pompano. Cysteine suppressed intestinal NF-κB/IKK/IκB signaling and pro-inflammatory cytokine mRNA levels. Conversely, intestinal anti-inflammatory cytokine gene expression and serum immune parameters were upregulated with the supplementary volume of cysteine and improved intestine immunity. Further, exogenous cysteine supplementation greatly reduced the mortality rate of golden pompano challenged with S. agalactiae. In general, our findings provide more valuable information and new insights into the rational use of cysteine in the culture of healthy aquatic animals.
New parameterization of air-sea exchange coefficients and its impact on intensity prediction under major tropical cyclones
Authors: Lee Woojeong , Kim Sung-Hun , Moon Il-Ju , Bell Michael M. , Ginis Isaac
Published: November 2022

Understanding and quantifying air-sea exchanges of enthalpy and momentum fluxes are crucial for the advanced prediction of tropical cyclone (TC) intensity. Here, we present a new parameterization of air-sea fluxes at extreme wind speeds from 40 m s−1 to 75 m s−1, which covers the range of major TCs. Our approach assumes that the TC can reach its maximum potential intensity (MPI) if there are no influences of external forces such as vertical wind shear or other environmental constraints.This method can estimate the ratio of the enthalpy and momentum exchange coefficient (Ck/Cd) under the most intense TCs without direct flux measurements. The estimation showed that Ck/Cd increases with wind speed at extreme winds above 40 m s−1. Two types of surface layer schemes of the Hurricane Weather and Research Forecast (HWRF) were designed based on the wind speed dependency of the Ck/Cd found at high winds: (i) an increase of Ck/Cd based on decreasing Cd (Cd_DC) and (ii) an increase of Ck/Cd based on increasing Ck (Ck_IC). The modified surface layer schemes were compared to the original HWRF scheme (using nearly fixed Cd and Ck at extreme winds; CTRL) through idealized experiments and real-case predictions. The idealized experiments showed that Cd_DC reduced frictional dissipation in the air-sea interface as well as significantly reduced sea surface cooling, making the TC stronger than other schemes. As a result, Cd_DC reduced the mean absolute error and negative bias by 15.0% (21.0%) and 19.1% (32.0%), respectively, for all lead times of Hurricane Irma in 2017 (Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018) compared to CTRL. This result suggests that new parameterization of Ck/Cd with decreasing Cd at high winds can help improve TC intensity prediction, which currently suffers from underestimating the intensity of the strongest TCs.
Chinese patent medicines combined with hormone replacement therapy for premature ovarian failure: A Bayesian network meta-analysis
Authors: Zhong Han-Zhi , Li Mao-Ya , Yin Xiao-Lan , Bin Cheng-Li , Zhou Si-Yun , Wei Shao-Bin
Published: November 2022

Objective

The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy differences between Chinese patent medicines combined with hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in the treatment of premature ovarian failure (POF) by the Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) method.

Methods

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting Chinese patent medicine combined with HRT for POF included Medline (via PubMed), Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database (CNKI), Wanfang Database (Wanfang), VIP Database (VIP), and China Biology Medicine Database (CBM) from the inception of the databases to July 2022. Two researchers independently screened the articles, extracted data, and evaluated the quality. The literature that met the inclusion criteria was screened out, the quality and risk of bias of the included studies were assessed according to the Cochrane 5.1 manual and RevMan 5.4, and NMA was performed using Stata 15.0 and R software.

Results

Sixty-four RCTs involving 5,675 individuals containing 12 oral Chinese patent medicines combined with HRT were enrolled into the current NMA. The results showed that when compared with patients using only HRT, the total clinical response rate is greater in patients using HRT combined with one of these 12 oral Chinese patent medicines. Among them, Zuogui pills + HRT [odds ratio (OR) = 3.92; 95% credible interval (CrI) = 0.86, 23.84; SUCRA = 73.76%] is most likely to be the best intervention, and the suboptimal intervention is Guishen pills + HRT (OR = 3.22, 95% CrI = 1.16, 9.44, SUCRA = 70.60%).

Conclusion

Chinese patent medicines combined with HRT were more effective than HRT alone in the treatment of POF. Zuogui pills are good at decreasing follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) and more effective in the improvement of total clinical response rate; Xuefu Zhuyu capsule is also good at decreasing FSH. Ziheche capsule is an expert in improving estradiol level; Kuntai capsule shows the lowest incidence of adverse reactions. However, the quality of the literature included in this study is relatively low, so it may affect the results of the study. Therefore, higher quality and multi-center trial would be necessary for supporting these results.

Systematic review registration

[www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero], identifier [CRD42022350587].
Dynamic inflammatory response among routine laboratory biomarkers and their predictive ability for mortality in patients with severe COVID-19
Authors: Cortes-Telles Arturo , Gutiérrez-Solis Ana Ligia , Álvarez-Sánchez Víctor Aarón , González-Garay Alejandro Gabriel , Lugo Roberto , Avila-Nava Azalia
Published: November 2022

Background

The severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is related to several factors, including age, sex, and comorbidities (obesity, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension). However, systemic inflammation plays a fundamental role in COVID-19 pathophysiology. Several studies have described this association employing specific biomarkers that are not routinely used in clinical practice. On the other hand, very few reports in the literature focused on the analysis of the routine laboratory biomarkers to predict the outcome of severe COVID-19 patients.

Objective

We aimed to analyze the dynamic inflammatory response using routine laboratory biomarkers to predict in-hospital mortality in Mexican patients with severe COVID-19.

Methods

This is a cohort study including patients with severe COVID-19. Demographic characteristics were retrieved from medical charts and biochemical parameters were measured at hospital admission and subsequently on days 3, 5, 7, 10, 14, and 21 during the hospital stay; measurements were stopped when patients were discharged from the hospital (alive or death).

Results

A total of 250 patients were included in the study, 40.8% of patients died. The analyzed routine laboratory parameters, such as serum levels of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, C-reactive protein, and D-dimer remained elevated in hospitalized patients who did not survive, whereas eosinophil and platelets were maintained at lower levels. In the multivariate analysis, leukocytes, and neutrophils were the best biomarkers for predicting mortality risk and were independent of age, gender, or comorbidities.

Conclusion

Our results support the use of routine laboratory biomarkers as predictors of mortality in Mexican hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19.
Case report: Minimal manifestations of mucous membrane pemphigoid in a young adult
Authors: Schauer Franziska , Casetti Federica , Kiritsi Dimitra
Published: November 2022

A male patient presented to our department at the age of 23 suffering from recurrent painful erosions in the urethral outlet area. In closer clinical examination gingival erosions, primarily around the teeth were identified as well. Indirect immunofluorescence on salt split skin with epidermal IgG deposition and positive anti-BP230 IgG ELISA diagnostics hinted toward the presence of mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP). Direct immunofluorescence from oral mucosa confirmed the diagnosis. MMP in young adulthood is an underdiagnosed disease and latency of diagnosis was around 4 years in our case. Treatment with systemic glucocorticosteroids and dapsone led to clinical remission, prohibiting the development of MMP manifestations in further organs and complications associated with the disease, e.g., scar formation and miction problems.
Sex differences in ocular biometric measurements: A twin study
Authors: Zhang Han , Zhou Jing , Yang Lili , Zhang Xiaogung , Shi Wei , Yang Hailong , Zhang Guisen , She Jie , Li Huixia
Published: November 2022

Objective

Gender differences in ocular biometric measurements of opposite-sex and same-sex twin pairs are still unclear. We aimed to investigate the difference between ocular biometric measurements in adolescent twin pairs.

Materials and methods

This retrospective study included a total of 64 eyes of 64 adolescents from 32 twins. The ocular biometric measurements and refractive prediction error (RE) were acquired from four groups of dizygotic (DZ) twins: boys from same-sex twin-pairs (SSM, n = 20), boys from opposite-sex twin-pairs (OSM, n = 8), girls from opposite-sex twin-pairs (OSF, n = 8), and girls from same-sex twin-pairs (SSF, n = 29).

Results

The mean age of the patient was 9.92 ± 2.84 (range: 6–18) years. Overall, boys had higher height, AL, WTW, but lower Ks, and Kf than girls (p < 0.05). Specifically, SSF was found to have the lowest lens thickness (LT), anterior chamber depth (ACD), central corneal thickness (CCT), white to white (WTW), and axial length (AL) levels, while the highest keratometry readings in the flat (Kf) and steep (Ks) levels compared with OSM, OSF, and SSM adolescents (p < 0.05). Compared with the OSF adolescents, ACD levels of the SSF adolescents were significantly lower [(2.99 ± 0.35) and (3.26 ± 0.15) mm, p = 0.033)], but Kf indicator was significantly larger [(43.93 ± 1.64) and (42.91 ± 1.75), p = 0.016)].

Conclusion

Our study indicates that there was a significant difference in ocular biometric measurements between twin pairs, and sharing the uterus with a DZ twin SSF has smaller ocular indicator measurements. Our findings provide information on the eyeball and refractive development in adolescents.
A PCR-based method for the diagnosis of Enterobius vermicularis in stool samples, specifically designed for clinical application
Authors: Ummarino Aldo , Caputo Michele , Tucci Francesco Antonio , Pezzicoli Gaetano , Piepoli Ada , Gentile Annamaria , Latiano Tiziana , Panza Anna , Calà Nicholas , Ceglia Antonio Pio , Pistoio Giovanni , Troiano Vincenzo , Pucatti Michela , Latiano Anna , Andriulli Angelo , Tucci Antonio , Palmieri Orazio
Published: November 2022

Background

Enterobius vermicularis (E. vermicularis) is a nematode that infects up to 200 million people worldwide, despite effective medications being available. Conventional diagnostic tests are hindered by low sensitivity and poor patient compliance. Furthermore, no biomolecular techniques are available for clinical application. The aim of this study was to develop a procedure specifically designed for clinical application to detect E. vermicularis by means of PCR.

Materials and methods

Two subject groups were taken into account: a group of 27 infected patients and a control group of 27 healthy subjects. A nested-PCR was performed on fecal samples to detect E. vermicularis. Due to the intrinsic difficulties of the fecal matrix, several countermeasures were adopted to ensure the efficient performance of the method: (a) a large amount of feces for the extraction process (20 g instead of 200 mg); (b) a combination of chemical and physical treatments to grind the fecal matrix; (c) an additional purification process for the negative samples after the first nested-PCR; and (d) the selection of a very specific target region for the PCR.

Results

Due to the lack of overlap with other organisms, a sequence of the 5S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) spacer region including the tract SL1 was chosen to design appropriate external and internal primers. The first nested-PCR detected E.vermicularis in 19/27 samples from infected patients. After further purification, 5/8 of the negative samples resulted positive at the second PCR. Conversely, all the samples from healthy controls resulted negative to both PCRs. Sensitivity and specificity of the method were, respectively, 88.9% and 100%.

Conclusion

The results prove the high diagnostic accuracy of the proposed method, addressing and overcoming the challenges posed by both conventional tests and PCR-based approaches. Therefore, the method can be proposed for clinical application.
Development and clinical application of a endonuclease restriction real-time loop-mediated isothermal amplification (ERT-LAMP) assay for rapid detection of Haemophilus influenzae
Authors: Cheng Jinzhi , Zhou Yuhong , Zhao Xue , Lu Jingrun , Wu Jiahong , Wang Yu
Published: November 2022

Haemophilus influenzae is a main human pathogen that results in a series of diseases in children and adults, such as pneumonia, bacteremia, and meningitis. Although there are many detection methods, they cannot meet the requirements of an early diagnosis. For the prevention and control of H. influenzae infection, quick, sensitive, and particular diagnostics are crucial. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) coupled with restricted endonuclease digestion and real-time fluorescence (H. influenzae-ERT-LAMP) detection was employed to diagnose H. influenzae. H. influenzae-ERT-LAMP combines LAMP amplification, restriction endonuclease cleavage, and real-time fluorescence identification into a single-pot reaction, allowing for the rapid identification of H. influenzae in 40 min. The outer membrane protein (OMP) P6 gene of H. influenzae was employed to build a sequence of H. influenzae-ERT-LAMP primers. The limit of detection (LoD) of H. influenzae-ERT-LAMP test was 40 fg of genomic DNA per reaction, and the non-H. influenzae templates did not provide positive outcomes. To investigate the applicability of H. influenzae-ERT-LAMP method in clinical sample detection, 30 sputum specimens were obtained from individuals suspected of being infected with H. influenzae. H. influenzae-ERT-LAMP outcomes were in total agreement with LAMP-LFB and PCR. The H. influenzae-ERT-LAMP assay provides rapid, accurate, and sensitive detection making it a promising screening strategy in clinical and basic lab settings.
The effects of urban land use gradients on wild bee microbiomes
Authors: Nguyen Phuong N. , Rehan Sandra M.
Published: November 2022

Bees and their microbes interact in complex networks in which bees form symbiotic relationships with their bacteria and fungi. Microbial composition and abundance affect bee health through nutrition, immunity, and fitness. In ever-expanding urban landscapes, land use development changes bee habitats and floral resource availability, thus altering the sources of microbes that wild bees need to establish their microbiome. Here, we implement metabarcoding of the bacterial 16S and fungal ITS regions to characterize the diversity and composition of the microbiome in 58 small carpenter bees,Ceratina calcarata,across urban land use gradients (study area 6,425 km2). By categorizing land use development, green space, precipitation, and temperature variables as indicators of habitat across the city, we found that land use variables can predict microbial diversity. Microbial composition was also found to vary across urban land use gradients, with certain microbes such asAcinetobacterandApilactobacillusoverrepresented in less urban locations andPenicilliummore abundant in developed areas. Environmental features may also lead to differences in microbe interactions, as co-occurrences between bacteria and fungi varied across percent land use development, exemplified by the correlation betweenMethylobacteriumandSphingomonasbeing more prevalent in areas of higher urban development. Surrounding landscapes change the microbial landscape in wild bees and alter the relationships they have with their microbiome. As such, urban centres should consider the impact of growing cities on their pollinators’ health and protect wild bees from the effects of anthropogenic activities.
Vital information matching in vision-and-language navigation
Authors: Jia Zixi , Yu Kai , Ru Jingyu , Yang Sikai , Coleman Sonya
Published: November 2022

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence technology, many researchers have begun to focus on visual language navigation, which is one of the most important tasks in multi-modal machine learning. The focus of this multi-modal field is how to fuse multiple inputs, which is crucial for the integrated feedback of intrinsic information. However, the existing models are only implemented through simple data augmentation or expansion, and are obviously far from being able to tap the intrinsic relationship between modalities. In this paper, to overcome these challenges, a novel multi-modal matching feedback self-tuning model is proposed, which is a novel neural network called Vital Information Matching Feedback Self-tuning Network (VIM-Net). Our VIM-Net network is mainly composed of two matching feedback modules, a visual matching feedback module (V-mat) and a trajectory matching feedback module (T-mat). Specifically, V-mat matches the target information of visual recognition with the entity information extracted by the command; T-mat matches the serialized trajectory feature with the direction of movement of the command. Ablation experiments and comparative experiments are conducted on the proposed model using the Matterport3D simulator and the Room-to-Room (R2R) benchmark datasets, and the final navigation effect is shown in detail. The results prove that the model proposed in this paper is indeed effective on the task.
From farm to plate: Spatio-temporal characterization revealed compositional changes and reduced retention of γ-oryzanol upon processing in rice
Authors: Ghosh Swarnadip , Bollinedi Haritha , Gopala Krishnan S. , Kundu Aditi , Singh Anupama , Bhowmick Prolay Kumar , Singh Archana , Nagarajan Mariappan , Vinod Kunnummal Kurungara , Ellur Ranjith Kumar , Singh Ashok Kumar
Published: November 2022

Background

Antioxidants detain the development and proliferation of various non-communicable diseases (NCDs). γ-oryzanol, a group of steryl ferulates and caffeates, is a major antioxidant present in rice grain with proven health benefits. The present study evaluated the distribution and dynamics of γ-oryzanol and its components in spatial and temporal scales and also delineated the effect of processing and cooking on its retention.

Methods

Six rice varieties (four Basmati and two non-Basmati) belonging to indica group were analyzed at spatial scale in four different tissues (leaf blades, leaf sheaths, peduncle and spikelets) and temporal scale at three developmental stages (booting, milky and dough). Additionally, the matured grains were fractioned into husk, embryo, bran, and endosperm to assess differential accumulation in these tissues. Further, milling and cooking of the samples was done to assess the retention upon processing. After extraction of γ-oryzanol by solvent extraction method, individual components were identified by UPLC-QToF-ESI-MS and quantified by RP-HPLC.

Results

The non-seed tissues were significantly different from the seed tissues for composition and quantitative variation of γ-oryzanol. Cycloartenyl caffeate was predominant in all the non-seed tissues during the three developmental stages while it showed significant reduction during the growth progression toward maturity and was totally absent in the matured grains. In contrary, the 24-methylenecycloartanyl ferulate, campesteryl ferulate and β-sitosteryl ferulate showed significant increment toward the growth progression to maturity. Milling caused significant reduction, retaining only an average of 58.77% γ-oryzanol. Cooking of brown rice in excess water showed relatively lower average retention (43.31%) to samples cooked in minimal water (54.42%). Cooked milled rice showed least mean retention of 21.66%.

Conclusion

The results demonstrate prominent compositional variation of γ-oryzanol during different growth stages. For the first time, the study demonstrated that ferulate esters of γ-oryzanol were predominant in the seed tissues while caffeate esters were dominant in non-seed tissues. Basmati cultivars show differential expression of γ-oryzanol and its components compared to non-Basmati cultivars. Cooking in excess water causes maximum degradation of γ-oryzanol. Post-harvest losses due to milling and cooking indicate the necessity of biofortification for γ-oryzanol content in rice grain.
Long-term fasting: Multi-system adaptations in humans (GENESIS) study–A single-arm interventional trial
Authors: Grundler Franziska , Viallon Magalie , Mesnage Robin , Ruscica Massimiliano , von Schacky Clemens , Madeo Frank , Hofer Sebastian J. , Mitchell Sarah J. , Croisille Pierre , Wilhelmi de Toledo Françoise
Published: November 2022

Fasting provokes fundamental changes in the activation of metabolic and signaling pathways leading to longer and healthier lifespans in animal models. Although the involvement of different metabolites in fueling human fasting metabolism is well known, the contribution of tissues and organs to their supply remains partly unclear. Also, changes in organ volume and composition remain relatively unexplored. Thus, processes involved in remodeling tissues during fasting and food reintroduction need to be better understood. Therefore, this study will apply state-of-the-art techniques to investigate the effects of long-term fasting (LF) and food reintroduction in humans by a multi-systemic approach focusing on changes in body composition, organ and tissue volume, lipid transport and storage, sources of protein utilization, blood metabolites, and gut microbiome profiles in a single cohort. This is a prospective, single-arm, monocentric trial. One hundred subjects will be recruited and undergo 9 ± 3 day-long fasting periods (250 kcal/day). We will assess changes in the composition of organs, bones and blood lipid profiles before and after fasting, as well as high-density lipoprotein (HDL) transport and storage, untargeted metabolomics of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), protein persulfidation and shotgun metagenomics of the gut microbiome. The first 32 subjects, fasting for 12 days, will be examined in more detail by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and spectroscopy to provide quantitative information on changes in organ volume and function, followed by an additional follow-up examination after 1 and 4 months. The study protocol was approved by the ethics board of the State Medical Chamber of Baden-Württemberg on 26.07.2021 and registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05031598). The results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, international conferences and social media.

Clinical trial registration

[ClinicalTrials.gov], identifier [NCT05031598].
Gross tumor volume of adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction corresponding to cT and cN stages measured with computed tomography to quantitatively determine resectabiliy: A case control study
Authors: Li Ke-ying , Ou Jing , Zhou Hai-ying , Yu Zi-yi , Gao Dan , You Xin-yi , Zhang Xiao-ming , Li Rui , Chen Tian-wu
Published: November 2022

Purpose

To determine whether gross tumor volume (GTV) of adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction (AEG) corresponding to cT and cN stages measured on CT could help quantitatively determine resectability.

Materials and methods

343 consecutive patients with AEG, including 279 and 64 randomly enrolled in training cohort (TC) and validation cohort (VC), respectively, underwent preoperative contrast-enhanced CT. Univariate and multivariate analyses for TC were performed to determine factors associated with resectability. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were to determine if GTV corresponding to cT and cN stages could help determine resectability. For VC, Cohen’s Kappa tests were to assess performances of the ROC models.

Results

cT stage, cN stage and GTV were independently associated with resectability of AEG with odds ratios of 4.715, 4.534 and 1.107, respectively. For differentiating resectable and unresectable AEG, ROC analyses showed that cutoff GTV of 32.77 cm3 in stage cT1-4N0-3 with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.901. Particularly, cutoffs of 27.67 and 32.77 cm3 in stages cT3 and cT4 obtained AUC values of 0.860 and 0.890, respectively; and cutoffs of 27.09, 33.32 and 37.39 cm3 in stages cN1, cN2 and cN3 obtained AUC values of 0.852, 0.821 and 0.902, respectively. In VC, Cohen’s Kappa tests verified that the ROC models had good performance in distinguishing between resectable and unresectable AEG (all Cohen’s K values > 0.72).

Conclusions

GTV, cT and cN stages could be independent determinants of resectability of AEG. And GTV corresponding to cT and cN stages can help quantitatively determine resectability.
Positive end expiratory pressure and respiratory system resistance between self-inflating bag and T-piece resuscitator in a cadaveric piglet lung model
Authors: Shah Dharmesh , Tracy Mark , Hinder Murray , Badawi Nadia
Published: November 2022

Introduction

In neonatal resuscitation, T-piece resuscitator (TPR) are used widely, but the evidence is limited for their use in infants born at term gestation. The aim of this study was to compare the delivered positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) and respiratory system resistance (Rrs) using TPR and self-inflating bag (SIB) in a cadaveric piglet model.

Methods

Cadaveric newborn piglets were tracheotomised, intubated (cuffed tube) and leak tested. Static lung compliance was measured. Positive pressure ventilation was applied by TPR and SIB in a randomized sequence with varying, inflations per minute (40, 60 and 80 min) and peak inspiratory pressures (18 and 30 cmH2O). PEEP was constant at 5 cmH2O. The lungs were washed with saline and static lung compliance was re-measured; ventilation sequences were repeated. Lung inflation data for the respiratory mechanics were measured using a respiratory function monitor and digitally recorded for both pre and post-lung wash inflation sequences. A paired sample t-test was used to compare the mean and standard deviation.

Results

The mean difference in PEEP (TPR vs. SIB) was statistically significant at higher inflation rates of 60 and 80 bpm. At normal lung compliance, mean difference was 1.231 (p = 0.000) and 2.099 (p = 0.000) with PIP of 18 and 30 cmH2O respectively. Significantly higher Rrs were observed when using a TPR with higher inflation rates of 60 and 80 bpm at varying lung compliance.

Conclusion

TPR is associated with significantly higher PEEP in a compliant lung model, which is probably related to the resistance of the TPR circuit. The effect of inadvertent PEEP on lung mechanics and hemodynamics need to be examined in humans. Further studies are needed to assess devices used to provide PEEP (TPR, SIB with PEEP valve, Anaesthetic bag with flow valve) during resuscitation of the newborn.
Refractive status and optical components in premature infants with and without retinopathy of prematurity: A 4- to 5-year cohort study
Authors: Xie Xuanxuan , Wang Yang , Zhao Rulian , Yang Jing , Zhu Xiaohui , Ouyang Lijuan , Liu Ming , Chen Xinke , Ke Ning , Li Yong , Pi Lianhong
Published: November 2022

This study was aimed to investigate the characteristics of refractive parameters in premature infants and children aged 3–8 years with mild retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and to explore the effects of premature delivery and mild ROP on the development of refractive status and ocular optical components. Premature infants who underwent ocular fundus oculi screening in our hospital between January 2009 and February 2011 were included and divided into the ROP group and the non-ROP group. Full-term infants were the controls. The results of the annual ocular examination conducted between 2014 and 2018 were analysed, and the refractive status, optical components, and developmental trends were compared among the three groups. The total follow-up time was 4–5 years. The prevalence of myopia and astigmatism was high in the ROP group (P < 0.05). In the non-ROP group, the prevalence of myopia was also higher than that in the control group. The prevalence of myopia increased with age in the ROP and non-ROP groups, while the prevalence of astigmatism remained unchanged. In the ROP group, the corneal refractive power was the largest, the lens was the thickest and the ocular axis was the shortest; in the control group, the corneal refractive power was the smallest, the lens was the thinnest, and the ocular axis was the longest. These parameters in the non-ROP group were between those in the two groups mentioned above (P < 0.05). The corneal refractive power was relatively stable at 3–8 years old in the three groups. The change in lens thickness was small in both the ROP group and the non-ROP group (P = 0.75, P = 0.06), and the lens became thinner in the control group (P < 0.001). The length of the ocular axis increased in the three groups. Preterm infants are more likely to develop myopia than full-term infants, and children with ROP are more likely to develop both myopia and astigmatism. Thicker lenses were the main cause of the high prevalence of myopia in premature infants with or without ROP.
Exercise-induced IL-15 acted as a positive prognostic implication and tumor-suppressed role in pan-cancer
Authors: Luo Zhiwen , He Zhong , Qin Haocheng , Chen Yisheng , Qi Beijie , Lin Jinrong , Sun Yaying , Sun Junming , Su Xiaoping , Long Ziwen , Chen Shiyi
Published: November 2022

Objective: Exercise can produce a large number of cytokines that may benefit cancer patients, including Interleukin 15 (IL-15). IL-15 is a cytokine that has multiple functions in regulating the adaptive and innate immune systems and tumorigenesis of lung and breast cancers. However, the roles of IL-15 in other types of cancer remain unknown. In this article, we try to systematically analyze if IL-15 is a potential molecular biomarker for predicting patient prognosis in pan-cancer and its connection with anti-cancer effects of exercise.

Methods: The expression of IL-15 was detected by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, Human protein Atlas (HPA), and Genotype Tissue-Expression (GTEX) database. Analysis of IL-15 genomic alterations and protein expression in human organic tissues was analyzed by the cBioPortal database and HPA. The correlations between IL-15 expression and survival outcomes, clinical features, immune-associated cell infiltration, and ferroptosis/cuproptosis were analyzed using the TCGA, ESTIMATE algorithm, and TIMER databases. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was performed to evaluate the biological functions of IL-15 in pan-cancer.

Results: The differential analysis suggested that the level of IL-15 mRNA expression was significantly downregulated in 12 tumor types compared with normal tissues, which is similar to the protein expression in most cancer types. The high expression of IL-15 could predict the positive survival outcome of patients with LUAD (lung adenocarcinoma), COAD (colon adenocarcinoma), COADREAD (colon and rectum adenocarcinoma), ESCA (esophageal carcinoma), SKCM (skin cutaneous melanoma), UCS (uterine carcinosarcoma), and READ (rectum adenocarcinoma). Moreover, amplification was found to be the most frequent mutation type of IL-15 genomic. Furthermore, the expression of IL-15 was correlated to the infiltration levels of various immune-associated cells in pan-cancer assessed by the ESTIMATE algorithm and TIMER database. In addition, IL-15 is positively correlated with ferroptosis/cuproptosis-related genes (ACSL4 and LIPT1) in pan-cancer. Levels of IL-15 were reported to be elevated in humans for 10–120 min following an acute exercise. Therefore, we hypothesized that the better prognosis of pan-cancer patients with regular exercise may be achieved by regulating level of IL-15.

Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that IL-15 is a potential molecular biomarker for predicting patient prognosis, immunoreaction, and ferroptosis/cuproptosis in pan-cancer and partly explained the anti-cancer effects of exercise.
Patients’ perception of the pharmacovigilance system: A pre-diagnostic and post-interventional cross-sectional survey
Authors: Rehman Atta Ur , Khalid Samina Naeem , Zakar Rubeena , Hani Ume , Zakria Zakar Muhammad , Fischer Florian
Published: November 2022

Background and objective: The risk of adverse reactions necessitated the pharmacovigilance system for patient safety. A literature search documented better health literacy of patients through intervention. This investigation aims to assess the perception and the effect of an intervention on patients regarding adverse reactions caused by drugs.

Methods: A pre-diagnostic and post-interventional cross-sectional investigation was designed with a sample size of 423 patients in hospitals of Islamabad. The proportion of patients was selected based on a stratified probability technique. A prevalidated tool was used to collect the response twice through a health promotion brochure with counseling, which was applied as an intervention.

Results: The outcome of the investigation revealed that the prerequisite of the pharmacovigilance center in the hospital among respondents was improved significantly by 41.2% after intervention. Knowledge, communication, and practice were significantly different with respect to gender. There was a moderate Pearson correlation between diagnostic and interventional responses of patient’s knowledge of adverse reactions by drugs (r = 0.66, p < 0.01) and patient’s communication in pharmacovigilance (r = 0.62, p < 0.01) and a strong correlation between diagnostic and interventional responses of patient’s practice in the pharmacovigilance system (r = 0.72, p < 0.01).

Conclusion: The finding of the investigation provided evidence that patient awareness was significantly improved by the health promotion model. Patient participation in the reporting of adverse reactions of drugs will complement the hospital staff reporting. These reports will construct an authentic, cross-checked database for rational drug safety practices in Pakistan.
Bridging performances of lost circulation materials (LC-LUBE and mica) and their blending in 80/20 and 60/40 oil-based drilling fluids
Authors: Belayneh Mesfin , Aadnøy Bernt
Published: November 2022

In drilling wells, lost circulation, barite sagging, shale swelling, and formation damage are critical problems for the industry. These problems can be controlled by designing appropriate drilling fluids and lost circulation materials. In this study, the performance of 80/20 and 60/40 oil-based drilling fluids (OBMs) was compared based on the lost circulation materials’ (LCMs) bridging performance, filtrate loss, barite sagging, and shale stability. The results show that in terms of LCM stability, the performance of LC-LUBE improved when blended with mica. Both drilling fluids inhibit shale swelling. The overall analysis showed that the 60/40 OBM is better and recommended.
Potential of extracellular space for tissue regeneration in dentistry
Authors: Birjandi Anahid A. , Sharpe Paul
Published: November 2022

With the proven relationship between oral and general health and the growing aging population, it is pivotal to provide accessible therapeutic approaches to regenerate oral tissues and restore clinical function. However, despite sharing many core concepts with medicine, dentistry has fallen behind the progress in precision medicine and regenerative treatments. Stem cell therapies are a promising avenue for tissue regeneration, however, ethical, safety and cost issues may limit their clinical use. With the significance of paracrine signalling in stem cell and tissue regeneration, extracellular space comprising of the cell secretome, and the extracellular matrix can serve as a potent source for tissue regeneration. Extravesicles are secreted and naturally occurring vesicles with biologically active cargo that can be harvested from the extracellular space. These vesicles have shown great potential as disease biomarkers and can be used in regenerative medicine. As a cell free therapy, secretome and extracellular vesicles can be stored and transferred easily and pose less ethical and safety risks in clinical application. Since there are currently many reviews on the secretome and the biogenesis, characterization and function of extracellular vesicles, here we look at the therapeutic potential of extracellular space to drive oral tissue regeneration and the current state of the field in comparison to regenerative medicine.
Are narcissists always bad apples? The relationship between employee narcissism and creative deviance
Authors: Zhang Kaixin , Cui Zilong
Published: November 2022

This study aims to advance the understanding of the effect of employee narcissism on creative deviance through creative self-efficacy and the moderation of this effect through transformational leadership. Research data were collected using a three-wave lagged model (n = 446) from 446 employees of 6 Chinese companies to test our moderated mediation model. The findings show that narcissism positively and significantly predicted creative self-efficacy (β = 0.42, p < 0.001) and creative deviance (β = 0.64, p < 0.001), and that creative self-efficacy partially mediated that relationship. Transformational leadership strengthens the effect of narcissism on creative self-efficacy, and there is a positive indirect relationship between employee narcissism and creative deviance through creative self-efficacy when transformational leadership is high. These findings extend the understanding of the antecedents of creative deviance by showing the relations between employee narcissism and creative deviance. The study also contributes to the literature of mediating role of creative self-efficacy and the moderating role of transformational leadership to explain the relationship between employee narcissism and creative deviance.
Knowledge development visualization and mapping path of the psychological capital research
Authors: Meng Sun , Fu Xinwei , Luo Danxue
Published: November 2022

With the respect to the key factors, namely the psychological state of individuals and organizations, psychological capital (PsyCap) is widely used in various fields, such as management decisions and organizational behavior. To fully show the related studies and their knowledge development and mapping path, in this paper, we examine 2,786 papers about the PsyCap related research from 1970 to 2021. Based on the bibliometric analysis and main path demonstration (the tools are Cite-Space and Pajke, respectively), we derive some conclusions as follows: (1) the publication number about the PsyCap study is growing rapidly and it is a highly cross-cutting research topic. (2) The main authors come from Australia, the United States, and China, and also are the core researchers. (3) Refinement and measurement in the PsyCap study are constant and hot topics. (4) Stress, performance and well-being issues among students, health care workers and corporate employees are core research themes, and team organization, creativity, innovation, and COVID-19 are hot topics in this field. The bibliometric analysis are quantitatively analyzed to provide scholars with a more comprehensive insight into PsyCap research. The main path demonstration helps scholars to understand the main lines and key nodes of development in the field of psychological capital.
Variations of retinal dysfunctions with the level of cannabis use in regular users: Toward a better understanding of cannabis use pathophysiology
Authors: Schwitzer Thomas , Moreno-Zaragoza Aldo , Dramé Louis , Schwan Raymund , Angioi-Duprez Karine , Albuisson Eliane , Laprévote Vincent
Published: November 2022

The impact of regular cannabis use on retinal function has already been studied using flash (fERG) and pattern (PERG) electroretinogram. Delayed ganglion and bipolar cells responses were observed as showed by increased peak time of PERG N95 and fERG b-wave recorded in photopic condition. Hypoactivity of amacrine cells was also showed by decreased amplitudes of oscillatory potentials (OPs). However, it is unknown how these retinal anomalies evolve according to the level of cannabis use in cannabis users. The aim of this study was to longitudinally assess the retinal function during a treatment aiming to reduce cannabis use. We recorded PERG and fERG in 40 regular cannabis users receiving either an 8 weeks mindfulness-based relapse prevention program or an 8 weeks treatment-as-usual therapy. ERGs were recorded before treatment, at the end of it, and 4 weeks afterward. We found reduced peak times in PERG N95 and fERG b-wave (p = 0.032 and p = 0.024: Dunn’s post-hoc test) recorded at week 8 and increased amplitudes in OP2 and OP3 (p = 0.012 and p = 0.030: Dunn’s post-hoc test) recorded at week 12 in users with decreased cannabis use. These results support variations of retinal anomalies with the level of cannabis use, implying that reduction of cannabis use could restore retinal function in regular users.
The machine learning model based on trajectory analysis of ribonucleic acid test results predicts the necessity of quarantine in recurrently positive patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection
Authors: Song Qi-Xiang , Jin Zhichao , Fang Weilin , Zhang Chenxu , Peng Chi , Chen Min , Zhuang Xu , Zhai Wei , Wang Jun , Cao Min , Wei Shun , Cai Xia , Pan Lei , Xu Qingrong , Zheng Junhua
Published: November 2022

Background

SARS-CoV-2 patients re-experiencing positive nucleic acid test results after recovery is a concerning phenomenon. Current pandemic prevention strategy demands the quarantine of all recurrently positive patients. This study provided evidence on whether quarantine is required in those patients, and predictive algorithms to detect subjects with infectious possibility.

Methods

This observational study recruited recurrently positive patients who were admitted to our shelter hospital between May 12 and June 10, 2022. The demographic and epidemiologic data was collected, and nucleic acid tests were performed daily. virus isolation was done in randomly selected cases. The group-based trajectory model was developed based on the cycle threshold (Ct) value variations. Machine learning models were validated for prediction accuracy.

Results

Among the 494 subjects, 72.04% were asymptomatic, and 23.08% had a Ct value under 30 at recurrence. Two trajectories were identified with either rapid (92.24%) or delayed (7.76%) recovery of Ct values. The latter had significantly higher incidence of comorbidities; lower Ct value at recurrence; more persistent cough; and more frequently reported close contacts infection compared with those recovered rapidly. However, negative virus isolation was reported in all selected samples. Our predictive model can efficiently discriminate those with delayed Ct value recovery and infectious potentials.

Conclusion

Quarantine seems to be unnecessary for the majority of re-positive patients who may have low transmission risks. Our predictive algorithm can screen out the suspiciously infectious individuals for quarantine. These findings may assist the enaction of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic prevention strategies regarding recurrently positive patients in the future.
Occupational stress and associated risk factors among 13,867 industrial workers in China
Authors: Yan Tenglong , Ji Fang , Bi Mingli , Wang Huining , Cui Xueting , Liu Baolong , Niu Dongsheng , Li Leilei , Lan Tian , Xie Tingting , Wu Jie , Li Jue , Ding Xiaowen
Published: November 2022

Objective

Occupational stress is a critical global public health problem. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of occupational stress among the workers in the electricity, heat, gas, water production and supply (EHGWPS), manufacturing, and transportation industries in Beijing, China. We explored the demographic differences in occupational stress status among workers in industrial enterprises.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 13,867 workers. The self-administered New Brief Job Stress Questionnaire was used to evaluate high occupational stress status, which includes four sub-dimensions (job stressors, stress response, social support, job stressors & social support). Multiple regression and logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between high occupational stress and the four occupational stress sub-dimensions with risk factors.

Results

A total of 13,867 workers were included. The prevalence of high occupational stress was 3.3% in the EHGWPS industries, 10.3% in manufacturing, and 5.8% in transportation. The prevalence of high occupational stress was higher than in the other two categories (p < 0.05) in manufacturing industries. Logistic regression analysis showed that male workers with lower educational status, more job experience, and working in manufacturing were vulnerable to high occupational stress. Further analysis of the four occupational stress sub-dimensions showed that male workers, older adult workers, workers with lower educational levels, and longer working time were associated with higher scores in job stressors, stress response, social support, and job stress & social support (all p < 0.05). Moreover, divorced or widowed workers had higher occupational stress scores.

Conclusion

Male workers with lower educational levels and longer working time may have an increased risk of occupational stress.