bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Suaeda salsa/Zea mays L. intercropping in saline soil on plant growth and rhizospheric physiological processes
Authors: Wang Shoule , Zhao Zhenyong , Ge Shaoqing , Zhang Ke , Tian Changyan , Mai Wenxuan
Published: April 2021

Background and aims

Halophytes possess the capacity to uptake high levels of salt through physiological processes and their root architecture. Here, we investigated whether halophyte/non-halophyte intercropping in saline soil decreases the soil salt content and contains root-dialogue.
Methods

Field and pot experiments were conducted to determine the plant biomasses and salt and nutrient distributions in three suaeda (Suaeda salsa) / maize (Zea mays L.) intercropping systems. The three treatments were set up by non-barrier, nylon barrier and plastic barrier between plant roots.
Results

The biomass of the non-barrier-treated maize was significantly lower than that of the nylon barrier-treated maize, whereas the suaeda root biomass showed a limited increase. The soil salt content negatively affected the non-barrier group’s roots compared with those in the nylon and plastic barrier-treated groups, and it was also higher on the maize side of the nylon-barrier treatment. There were higher available nitrogen and phosphorus contents in the soil of the non-barrier- and nylon barrier-treated groups compared with the plastic barrier-treated group. In addition, the pH was lower, and the available potassium content was higher, which suggested that rhizospheric processes occurred between the two species.
Conclusions

The suaeda/maize intercropping would decrease the soil salt content, and they also revealed potential rhizospheric effects though the role of root, which provides an effective way for the improvement of saline-alkali land.
BACE Inhibitor Treatment in Mice Induces Hyperactivity in a Seizure-Related Gene 6 Family Protein Dependent Manner but Does Not alter Spatial Learning and Reference Memory
Authors: Nash A. , Gijsen H. J. M. , Hrupka B. J. , Teng K. S-L. , Lichtenthaler S. F. , Takeshima H. , Gunnersen J. M. , Munro K. M.
Published: April 2021

BackgroundBACE inhibitors, which decrease BACE1 (β-secretase 1) cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein, are a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. Clinical trials using BACE inhibitors have reported a lack of positive effect on patient symptoms and, in some cases, have led to increased adverse events, cognitive worsening and hippocampal atrophy. A potential drawback of this strategy is the effect of BACE inhibition on other BACE1 substrates such as Seizure-related gene 6 (Sez6) family proteins which are known to have a role in neuronal function.MethodsMice were treated with an in-diet BACE inhibitor for 4-8 weeks to achieve a clinically-relevant level of amyloid-β40 reduction in the brain. Mice underwent behavioural testing and postmortem analysis of dendritic spine number and morphology with Golgi-Cox staining. Sez6 family triple knockout mice were tested alongside wild-type mice to identify whether any effects of the treatment were due to altered cleavage of Sez6 family proteins.ResultsWild-type mice treated with BACE inhibitor displayed hyperactivity on the elevated open field, as indicated by greater distance travelled, but this effect was not observed in treated Sez6 triple knockout mice. BACE inhibitor treatment did not lead to significant changes in spatial or fear learning, reference memory, cognitive flexibility or anxiety in mice as assessed by the Morris water maze, context fear conditioning, or light-dark box tests. Chronic BACE inhibitor treatment reduced the density of mushroom-type spines in the somatosensory cortex, regardless of genotype, but did not affect steady-state dendritic spine density or morphology in the CA1 region of the hippocampus. ConclusionsChronic BACE inhibition for 1-2 months in mice led to increased locomotor output but did not alter memory or cognitive flexibility. While the mechanism underlying the treatment-induced hyperactivity is unknown, the absence of this response in Sez6 triple knockout mice indicates that blocking ectodomain shedding of Sez6 family proteins is a contributing factor. In contrast, the decrease in mature spine density in cortical neurons was not attributable to lack of shed Sez6 family protein ectodomains. Therefore, other BACE1 substrates are implicated in this effect and, potentially, in the cognitive decline in longer-term chronically treated patients.
Degradation and Stabilization of Poly(Butylene Adipate-Co- Terephthalate)/Polyhydroxyalkanoate Biodegradable Mulch Films Under Different Aging Tests
Authors: Tian Yuchuan , Wang James , Zhou Bing
Published: April 2021

The degradation and stability of biodegradable films determine the service length of mulch films in actual use. Most biodegradable polymers degrade too fast to meet the required durability of mulch films. The objective of this work is to investigate the degradation behaviors of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) /polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) blend mulch films. Several different types of stabilizers were incorporated in the biodegradable blends to provide protection for the PHA/PBAT films during thermal processing and aging on agricultural fields. The degradation process of the films was systematically studied under an Accelerated Aging Test (AAT) and a Soil Aging Test (SAT). Adding a light stabilizer, UV stabilizer, or antioxidant to the mulch films led to significant improvement in the retention of mechanical properties of the films under both AAT and SAT. Morphological evolution of the films with or without a UV stabilizer as a function of aging times was studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The results of thermal properties and crystallinity revealed damage of crystal structure of the films during AAT. Spectrocopic results indicated that the films underwent both hydrolysis and photodegradative chain scissions (Norrish Type I/II reactions and photo-oxidation). The degradation mechanisms of the PHA/PBAT biodegradable mulch films were proposed.
What is The Impact of The COVID-19 Pandemic on Residency Training: A Systematic Review and Analysis
Authors: Hung Shang-Kai , Chen Shou-Yen , Lo Hsiang-Yun
Published: April 2021

Background

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has greatly affected medical education in addition to clinical systems. Residency training has probably been the most affected aspect of medical education during the pandemic, and research on this topic is crucial for educators and clinical teachers. The aim of this study was to understand the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic comprehensively through a systematic review and analysis of related published articles.
Methods

A systematic review was conducted based on a predesigned protocol. We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE databases until November 30, 2020, for eligible articles. Two independent reviewers extracted data by using a customized form to record crucial information, and any conflicts between the two reviewers were resolved through discussion with another independent reviewer. The aggregated data were summarized and analyzed.
Results

In total, 53 original articles that investigated the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on residency training were included. Studies from various regions were included in the research, with the largest percentage from the United States (n = 25, 47.2%). Most of these original articles were questionnaire-based studies (n = 44, 83%), and the research target groups included residents (79.55%), program directors (13.64%), or both (6.82%). The majority of the articles (n = 37, 84.0%) were published in countries severely affected by the pandemic. Surgery (n = 36, 67.92%) was the most commonly studied field.
Conclusions

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected residency training globally, particularly surgical and interventional medical fields. Decreased clinical experience, reduced case volume, and disrupted education activities are major concerns. Further studies should be conducted with a focus on the learning outcomes of residency training during the pandemic and the effectiveness of assisted teaching methods.
iSeq100 for metagenomic pathogen screening in ticks
Authors: Kim Ju Yeong , Yi Myung-hee , Mahdi Alghurabi Areej Sabri , Yong Tai-Soon
Published: April 2021

Background: Ticks are blood sucking ectoparasites that play a pivotal role in the transmission of various pathogens to humans and animals. In Korea, Haemaphysalis longicornis is the predominant tick species and is recognized as the vector of pathogens causing various diseases such as babesiosis, borreliosis, rickettsiosis, and severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome. Methods: In this study, we developed a method to screen bacterial pathogens in H. longicornis using targeted high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA V4 region using the state-of-the-art sequencing instrument, iSeq 100, and compared the findings with those of conventional PCR with specific primers. Results: Rickettsia spp. were detected in 18 out of 39 samples using iSeq 100 but in only 14 samples using conventional PCR. In the phylogenetic analysis using gltA and ompA sequences of the detected Rickettsia, the highest sequence similarity was found with Candidatus Rickettsia jingxinensis isolate Xian-Hl-79, Ca. R. jingxinensis isolate F18, and Ca. R. longicornii isolate ROK-HL727. In the microbiome study, Coxiella AB001519, a known tick symbiont, was detected in all 39 tick samples. The Actinomycetospora chiangmaiensis group was more abundant in Rickettsia spp.-positive samples than in Rickettsia spp.-negative samples. Conclusions: Thus, we demonstrated that iSeq100 can rapidly and economically screen potential pathogens in ticks and can be applied to large-scale pathogen screening in arthropods for vector-borne disease control programs.
English Goalkeepers are not Responsible for England’s Poor Performance in Penalty Shootouts in the Past
Authors: Brinkschulte Michel , Furley Philip , Memmert Daniel
Published: April 2021

Scrutinizing public opinion is one of the central goals of science as the divergence between public opinion and scientific evidence can have negative consequences. The present study aimed to further investigate the alleged English ‘penalty curse’ and determine if it can be linked to the prevalent stereotype of the ‘English goalkeeper problem’. We analyzed a large sample of 2,379 penalty kicks that 629 different goalkeepers faced in World Cups and European Championships, as well as in the Champions and Europa League by comparing the goalkeeper success rates of different nations. However, the results do not reveal meaningful significant differences between these success rates (on average 22.23 %). Consequently, we conclude that English goalkeepers are not responsible for England’s poor performance in penalties in the past as they perform as well as goalkeepers from other nations and, in turn, provide a counterargument to the widespread stereotype that ‘England has a goalkeeper problem’.
Urban-rural Differences in the Risk Factors of Severe Under-5 Child Malnutrition in Bangladesh
Authors: Anik Asibul Islam , Chowdhury Mohammad Rocky Khan , Khan Hafiz TA , Mondal Md. Nazrul Islam , Perera Nirmala K. Panagodage , Kader Manzur
Published: April 2021

IntroductionSevere under-5 child malnutrition (i.e., severe stunting, severe wasting and severe underweight) is high in Bangladesh. The interplay between risk factors needs to be understood to address this complex public health issues. We aim to explore the prevalence and risk factors for severe under-5 child malnutrition in Bangladesh's rural and urban areas using the Composite Index of Severe Anthropometric Failure (CISAF).MethodsWe analysed data from Bangladesh Demographic Health Surveys (BDHSs), 2017-18. Severe malnutrition was defined using the CISAF, and conventional nutritional indicators were aggregated to estimate malnutrition's overall burden. The proportional differences of variables between non-severe malnutrition and severe malnutrition group were assessed using Chi-square test. Risk factors for malnutrition were analysed using regression models to assess the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).ResultsThe overall prevalence of severe under-5 child malnutrition was 11% with 12% in rural areas and 10% in urban areas. The key risk factors in rural areas were children born with small birth weight (OR: 2.4, 95% CI: 1.5–3.8), socio-economically poorest households (OR: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.4–3.7) and children aged 36-47 months (OR: 2.1, 95% CI: 1.6–2.8). The key risk factors in urban areas were children born with small birth weight (OR: 5.0, 95% CI: 2.9–8.6), children of mothers with no formal education (OR: 2.0, 95% CI: 1.2–3.6) and children's birth order ≥4 (OR: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.2–2.8). 52% lower risk difference of parents with formal education vs no formal education, and 71% higher risk difference of most affluent vs poorest household for being severely malnourished were estimated in rural areas than in urban areas.ConclusionOne in ten children living in both rural and urban areas experience severe malnutrition. Children of parents with no formal education, children of underweight mothers, those living in socio-economically poorest households and children of small birth weight experienced severe malnutrition regardless of setting. Educational attainments and access to health and nutritional care may not be enough to reduce the burden of severe malnutrition in rural settings. Our study provides helpful guidelines for context-specific interventions to reduce under-5 severe malnutrition.
Structural Insight Into Aeromonas Hydrophila AHL Synthase AhyI Driving Acyl-ACP Selective Recognition
Authors: Jin Lei , chen Yu , Yang Wenge
Published: April 2021

Background: The gram-negative bacterium Aeromonas hydrophila as the major causative agent of the fish disease motile aeromonad septicemia, uses N-acyl-homoserine lactone quorum sensing signals to coordinate biofilm formation, motility and virulence gene expression in pathogens. Thus, AHL signaling pathway is considered as a therapeutic target against pathogenic A. hydrophila infection. AHL autoinducers biosynthesis in A. hydrophila are specifically catalyzed by an ACP-dependent AHL synthase AhyI using SAM and acyl-ACP as the precursors. Our previously reported AhyI protein heterologously expressed in E. coli strain showed the production characteristics of medium-long chain AHLs, although AhyI was only considered as a short-chain C4/C6-HSL synthase during the past two decades.Results: In this study, we carried out the in vitro biosynthetic assays of six AHL molecules and kinetic studies of recombinant AhyI with a panel of four linear acyl-ACPs. These resulting data all indicate that C4/C6-ACP are the native acyl substrates for AhyI against acyl-ACPs with longer linear chains as the non-native acyl donor. In an effort to further understand AhyI acyl-donor substrates preferences, we performed a structural comparison of three ACP-dependent LuxI homologs (TofI, BmaI1 and AhyI), and identified three key hydrophobic residues (I67, F125 and L157) as part of the acyl-chain binding pocket that confer AhyI to selectively recognize native C4/C6-ACP substrates. The predictions were further supported by computational Ala mutation assay.Conclusions: Our current studies redefined AhyI protein that is a multiple short- to long-chain AHL molecules synthase with longer acyl-ACPs (C8~C14) as the non-native substrates, and we also theorized that with knowledge of the key residues in AHL signal synthase AhyI to drive acyl-ACP selective recognition.
How do the Pore Traits of Hardwoods Affect Sound Absorption Performance of their Cross Sections? - Focusing on 6 Species of Korean Hardwoods
Authors: JANG Eun-Suk , KANG Chun-Won
Published: April 2021

An investigation of sound absorption in 6 species of hardwoods according to the pore structure of cross-sections revealed that higher gas permeability was associated with greater sound absorption at high frequencies. In addition, diffuse-porous wood exhibited superior sound absorption performance compared with ring-porous wood. Through-pore porosity was associated with improved sound absorption in the cross-sections of all 6 species, while closed-pore porosity was associated with poor sound absorption. The results of these studies could lead to development of hardwood products with superior sound absorption and help elucidate the roles of porosity in drying, impregnation, and thermal insulation properties of wood.
High-Resolution Particle Separation by Inertial Focusing in High Aspect Ratio Curved Microfluidics
Authors: Cruz Javier , Hjort Klas
Published: April 2021

The ability to focus, separate and concentrate specific targets in a fluid is essential for the analysis of complex samples such as biological fluids, where a myriad of different particles may be present. Inertial focusing is a very promising technology for such tasks, and specially a recently presented variant, inertial focusing in High Aspect Ratio Curved systems (HARC sytsems), where the systems are easily engineered and focus the targets together in a stable position over a wide range of particle sizes and flow rates. However, although convenient for laser interrogation and concentration, by focusing all particles together, HARC systems lose an essential feature of inertial focusing: the possibility of particle separation by size. Within this work, we report that HARC systems not only do have the capacity to separate particles but can do so with extremely high resolution, which we demonstrate for particles with a size difference down to 80 nm.
In addition to the concept for particle separation, a model considering the main flow, the secondary flow and a simplified expression for the lift force in HARC microchannels was developed and proven accurate for the prediction of the performance of the systems. The concept was also demonstrated experimentally with three different sub-micron particles (0.79, 0.92 and 1.0 µm in diameter) in silicon-glass microchannels, where the resolution in the separation could be modulated by the radius of the channel.
With the capacity to focus sub-micron particles and to separate them with high resolution, we believe that inertial focusing in HARC systems is a technology with the potential to facilitate the analysis of complex fluid samples containing bioparticles like bacteria, viruses or eukaryotic organelles.
Health Problems Questionnaire in Multiple Sclerosis Patients: Development and Validation
Authors: Dehghani Ali
Published: April 2021

Background

Multiple sclerosis patients are faced with numerous problems during their illness. Development of a self-report measure of health problems in multiple sclerosis patients is required based on cultural factors, `which can advance our understanding of the level of health problems for care planning and improvement of coping and quality of life. The current study aimed to develop and validate the scale of health problems of Multiple Sclerosis.
Methods

This present study is an exploratory sequential mixed method study that was conducted in three phases. In the first phase, the concept of health problems in MS patients was defined using the content analysis approach. In the second phase, the item pool was generated from findings of the first phase. In the third phase, psychometric properties of the scale were evaluated including face, content and construct validity as well as reliability.
Results

After examining the psychometric properties of validity and reliability, 33 items were designed in the final questionnaire. Factor analyses revealed five factors: physical problems, psychological problems, emotional problems, family problems, and socio-economic problems. Internal consistency and stability of the developed questionnaire confirmed with 0.93 and 0.95 respectively that indicated excellent reliability.
Conclusion

The 33-item developed questionnaire is valid and reliable for measurement of levels of health problems in Iranian people with MS.
Seasonality of Coastal Picophytoplankton Growth, Nutrient Limitation and Biomass Contribution
Authors: Zufia Javier Alegria , Farnelid Hanna , Legrand Catherine
Published: April 2021

Picophytoplankton in the Baltic Sea includes picocyanobacteria (Synechococcus/Cyanobium) and photosynthetic picoeukaryotes (PPE). Picophytoplankton are thought to be a key component of the phytoplankton community but their seasonal dynamics and relationships with nutrients and temperature are largely unknown. We monitored pico- and larger phytoplankton at a coastal site in Kalmar Sound (K-Station) weekly during 2018. Among the picocyanobacteria, phycoerythrin-rich Synechococcus (PE-rich) dominated in spring and summer while phycocyanin-rich Synechococcus (PC-rich) dominated during autumn. PE-rich and PC-rich abundances peaked during summer (1.1x105 and 2.0x105 cells mL− 1) while PPE reached highest abundances in spring (1.1x105 cells mL− 1). PPE was the main contributor to the total phytoplankton biomass (3–73%). To assess nutrient limitation, bioassays with combinations of nitrogen (NO3 or NH4) and phosphorus additions were performed. PE-rich and PC-rich growth was mainly limited by nitrogen, with a preference for NH4 at 15–19°C. The three groups had distinct seasonal dynamics and optimal temperatures for growth were 10°C and 17–19°C for PE-rich, 13–16°C for PC-rich and 11–15°C for PPE. We conclude that picophytoplankton contribute significantly to the carbon cycle in the coastal Baltic Sea and underscore the importance of investigating functional groups to assess the consequences of the combination of high temperature and NH4 in a future climate.
Vascular Access for Lipid Apheresis: A Challenge in Young Children With Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia
Authors: Lischka Julia , Arbeiter Klaus , de Gier Charlotte , Willfort-Ehringer Andrea , Walleczek Nina-Katharina , Gellai Renata , Boehm Michael , Wiegman Albert , Greber-Platzer Susanne
Published: April 2021

Background Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH) is a rare genetic disorder leading to extremely increased LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C), resulting in high cardiovascular risk in early childhood. Lipid apheresis (LA) is an effective treatment and should be started as early as possible to prevent premature cardiovascular events. As peripheral punctures in children can be challenging due to small vessels and anxiety, this study aimed to evaluate central venous catheters (CVCs) as vascular access for LA in young children with hoFH.MethodsRetrospective analysis (2016-2019) on four children with hoFH aged 3-5, performing weekly or biweekly LA with a CVC.ResultsLDL-C decreased by> 60%. In three children, the use of a permanent CVC for 698, 595, and 411 days, respectively, avoided difficult peripheral access, without the occurrence of occlusion or thrombosis. Unfortunately, one child had recurrent CVC-related infections and needed an arteriovenous fistula from the age of 5. Although the mean dwell time per catheter was 212 days, there were, as expected, severe side effects of early catheter infections with sepsis and accidental self-removal. Starting LA at an early age improved or stabilized carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in all children. Finally, IMT did increase in one child caused by intolerance to peripheral punctures and LA interruption.ConclusionsPermanent CVCs are a viable temporary access choice for LA in young children with hoFH until peripheral venipuncture is practicable. The risk of CVC-related infections needs to be taken into account.
Breast Cancer Detection and Classification using Deeper Convolutional Neural Networks based on Wavelet Packet Decomposition Techniques
Authors: R Rajakumari , Kalaivani L.
Published: April 2021

Breast cancer is a commonly diagnosed disease in women. Early detection, a personalized treatment approach, and better understanding are necessary for cancer patients to survive. In this work, both Deep learning Network and traditional Convolution Network has been employed for Digital Database for Screening Mammography (DDSM) dataset. In this work, breast cancer images are subjected to removal of background images followed by Weiner filtering and Contrast Limited Histogram Equalization (CLAHE) filter for image restoration. Wavelet Packet Decomposition (WPD) using Daubechies wavelet level 3 (db3) is employed to improve the smoothness of the images. In the first part of breast cancer recognition, these preprocessed images are fed to a deep convolution neural network, namely GoogleNet and AlexNetfor ADAM. RMSPROP and SGDM optimizers for different learning rates such as 0.01, 0.001, and 0.0001. As medical image necessitates discriminative features for classification, the pre-trained GoogleNet architectures extract the complicated features from the image and increase the recognition rate. In the latter part of this paper, Particle Swarm Optimization based Multi-Layer Perceptron (PSO-MLP), and Ant Colony Optimization based Multi-Layer Perceptron (ACO-MLP) are employed for breast cancer recognition using statistical features like skewness, kurtosis, variance, entropy, contrast, correlation, energy, homogeneity, mean which are extracted from the preprocessed image. The performance of this GoogleNet has been compared with AlexNet, PSO-MLP, and ACO-MLP in terms of accuracy, loss rate, and runtime and achieves an accuracy of 99%, with less loss rate of 0.1547 and the lowest run time of 4.14 minutes.
Comprehensive Analysis of the Clinical Significance and Prognostic Value of the CBX Family in Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Endocervical Adenocarcinoma (CESC)
Authors: Zhou Pei , Ma Cong , Wu Caiyun , Yuan Jing
Published: April 2021

Background: Cervical squamous cell carcinoma and endocervical adenocarcinoma (CESC) is the second most common type of cancer among gynecologic malignancies worldwide. Chromobox (CBX) family proteins are associated with the regulation of tumorigenesis, metastasis, and evolution of various cancers.Methods: The clinical features, expression levels, and prognostic value of CBXs in CESC were analyzed through several databases, including ONCOMINE, GEPIA, HPA, UALCAN, cBioPortal, Kaplan-Meier plotter, and Metascape.Results: We concluded that the expression level of CBX2/4/8 was upregulated, while the expression level of CBX6/7 was downregulated in CESC specimens. Immune infiltration analysis revealed that CBX1/2/3/4/5/6/8 proteins were downregulated in normal cervical tissues, and upregulated in CESC specimens. In contrast, CBX7 protein expression was significantly higher in normal adjacent cervical tissues and was not detected in CESC tissues. CBX1/3/6 mRNA expression was significantly correlated with the pathological stage of CESC. Prognostic analysis showed that patients with high CBX7 levels of CESC had a favorable prognosis.Conclusions: Our study indicated that CBX7 could be an attractive biomarker for the prognosis of CESC.
Potential triggers of atrial fibrillation in type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Mirzarakhimova Zulfiya , Narziev Bakhodir , Yakubov Akmal , Salaev Oybek , Hamraev Ramesh , Ganiev Aliyor , Tursunov Sukhrob , Jumaniyozov Rasulbek , Sultankhonov Sardorkhon
Published: April 2021

Introduction.

Atrial fibrillation is an irregular heartbeat that accelerates to form blood clots in the chambers of the heart and leads to stroke, heart failure, and other cardiovascular complications. Diabetes mellitus itself has been identified as a risk factor for atrial fibrillation, but the association between them is unclear.
Material and methods.

We analyzed 70 patients with type 2 insulin non-dependent diabetes mellitus. All patients were examined in parallel continuous glucose (CGM) and ECG for 14 days. The study population divided into documented atrial fibrillation (AF group, n = 16) and without atrial fibrillation (non-AF group, n = 54) groups. We assessed the relationship between hypoglycemia, fasting plasma insulin, insulin resistance using the homeostatic model assessment (HOMA-IR) equation, and the incidence of atrial fibrillation.
Results.

We found a total of 46 episodes of documented atrial fibrillation (AF be defined as an arrhythmia lasting ≥ 30 seconds) lasted on the whole 596.9 minute, which was the most significant by the number (2.87 ± 2.05 per patient, p < 0.0001) or the time (31.31 ± 16.57 min per patient, p < 0.0001). We also compared the incident rate of different types of atrial premature complexes between two groups. We found a maximum of 642.6 ± 567.2 single PACs per patient in the AF group, compared to 84.6 ± 87.9, p = 0.002. Despite this, there were significant differences by the following parameters: couplet PACs (p = 0.0015) and triplet or > 3 PACs (p = 0.0007). Over 14 days, a total of 263 hypoglycemic episodes or 5135 min hypoglycemic time were detected, the average number and time of hypoglycemic episodes were 8.0 ± 4.94 per person and 137.0 ± 63.17 min in AF group, and 2.5 ± 4.64 per person (p = 0.0001), 54.5 ± 67.3 min (p = 0.004) in the non-AF group. There was a statistically significant (p < 0.0001) association between FPI and incident AF, more exactly, the mean level of FPI was 31 ± 6.1 mlU/L in the AF group, whereas was 11.3 ± 4.07 in the non-AF group. When we measured the HOMA-IR index by using the homeostasis model, we found significant differences between AF and non-AF groups (11.2 ± 3.88 mmol/l vs. 4.3 ± 1.66 mmol/l, p < 0.0001).
Conclusion.

The parallel recording of continuous glucose and ECG are necessary to evaluate hypoglycemia-related atrial fibrillation in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Elevated fasting plasma insulin, as well as insulin resistance, are important predictors of atrial fibrillation development, but it needs further studies.
Development and Validation of a Risk Prediction Score for Patients with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
Authors: Xue Ning , Ou Guoping , Ma Weiguo , Jia Lina , Sheng Jiahe , Xu Qingxia , Liu Yubo , Jia Miaomiao
Published: April 2021

Background：The present study aimed to develop and validate an effective predictive model for overall survival (OS) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).Methods: 519 patients were retrospectively reviewed in this study. Random forest was proposed to identify significant prognostic factors for OS in NPC patients. Then calibration plot and concordance index(C-index) were used to evaluate the predictive accuracy of the nomogram model.Results: We used random forest to select three most important features, dNLR, HGB, EBV DNA, which were significantly relevant to OS of NPC patients. The C-index of our model for OS were 0.733 (95% CI: 0.673~0.793) and 0.772 (95% CI: 0.691~0.853) in the two cohorts, which were higher than that of TNM stage, treatment, and EBV DNA. Based on the model risk score, patients were divided into low-risk and high-risk two groups. Kaplan-Meier curves showed that two subgroups were significantly associated with OS in the primary cohort and in the validation cohort. The nomogram for OS was established including risk score, TNM stage, EBV DNA in the two cohort. It achieved higher C-index of 0.783(95% CI: 0.730~0.836) than that of the risk score model 0.733 (95% CI: 0.673~0.793) in the primary (P = 0.005).Conclusions：The established risk score model and nomogram resulted in more accurate prognostic prediction for individual patient with NPC.
DCABM-TCM, a Database of Constituents Absorbed into Blood and Metabolites of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Authors: Liu Xinyue , Liu Jinying , Xu Feng , Li Runa , Xing Lin , Yuan Liying , Guo Shuzhen , Guo Feifei , Liu Yuan , Liu Jiale , Wang Xun , Qi Yaning , Fu Bangze , Li Dong , Liu Zhongyang
Published: April 2021

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) not only maintains the health of peoples in Asia but also provides a great resource of active natural products for modern drug development. However, owing to its diverse constituents and the complex interactions with the human body, it is still challenging to clarify its effective constituents and molecular mechanism. This greatly hinders its widespread application worldwide and TCM-based modern drug development. The vast majority of constituents in TCM can produce pharmacological effects only after they are absorbed into bloodstream. Compared with ordinary constituents generally detected in vitro, these that are verified to reach the bloodstream, including original constituents absorbed into blood and metabolites of original constituents produced by the gastrointestinal tract, intestinal microflora, and liver, are more likely to be really effective ones responsible for the pharmacological effects. Here we developed DCABM-TCM (a Database of Constituents Absorbed into Blood and Metabolites of TCM), the first database systematically collecting blood constituents of TCM prescriptions and herbs, including prototypes and metabolites experimentally-detected in blood, together with the corresponding detailed detection conditions by manual literature mining. Currently DCABM-TCM has collected 4206 blood constituents of 192 prescriptions and 194 herbs, and also integrated various related annotations including physicochemical properties, ADMET properties, and associated targets, functional terms, pathways, and diseases etc. Furthermore, DCABM-TCM supported two analysis functions, the network pharmacology analysis for TCM molecular mechanism elucidation and the target/pathway/disease-based screening of candidate blood constituents, herbs or prescriptions for TCM-based drug discovery. DCABM-TCM is freely assessable by http://bionet.ncpsb.org.cn/dcabm-tcm/ and is browsable and searchable for each of 6 kinds of entities, including prescriptions, herbs, blood constituents, targets, pathways, and diseases. DCABM-TCM will contribute to not only the elucidation of effective constituents and molecular mechanism of TCMs but also the discovery of TCM-derived drug-like compounds which are both bioactive and bioavailable, the feature investigation of absorbable natural compounds, and the quality control of herbs.
Creatinine-Based Formulae Poorly Match In The Classification of Hypofiltration Or Hyperfiltration In a General Population of Adolescents. A Retrospective Analysis of a Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Šebeková Katarína , Gurecká Radana , Tóthová Ľubomíra , Podracká Ľudmila
Published: April 2021

Pediatric formulae to estimate glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) give a broad range of values. Their consistency in assigning the subjects as hypofiltrating or hyperfiltrating is unknown. In 1,993 apparently healthy adolescents (53.4% females) aged 14-to-17 years, we investigated the concordance of six creatinine-based formulae in the classification of the subjects into ≤ 5th or ≥ 95th percentile of eGFR; and the between-groups difference in the prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors. Mean eGFR varied between 77-to-121 mL/min/1.73 m2. Arbitrary setting of hypofiltration or hyperfiltration to 5% returned 46 males and 53 females. At least one formula classified 89 males and 99 females as hypofiltrating, and 105 males and 114 females as hyperfiltrating. All six formulae concordantly classified 15 males and 17 females as hypofiltrating; and 9 and 14, respectively, as hyperfiltrating. Pairwise, formulae consistently classified hypofiltration in 42%-to-87% subjects, hyperfiltration in 28%-94%. According to two out of six formulae, hyperfiltration associated with increased prevalence of obesity and obesity-associated comorbidities. Hypofiltrating subjects did not manifest chronic kidney disease-associated comorbidities. Further studies in different populations of healthy adolescents are needed before it is possible to conclude on which creatinine-based formula is appropriate for the classification of hypofiltration and hyperfiltration in non-clinical cohorts.
Predicting Hydrological Alterations to Quantitative and localized Climate Change in plateau regions: A case study of Lake Dianchi Basin
Authors: Duan Zhongzhao , Wang Mingjing , Liu Yong , Gao Wei , Chang Xuexiu
Published: April 2021

Climate change has greatly impacted hydrological regimes of lakes in sub-trophic and trophic areas. The uncertainties surrounding conventional future hydrological simulation methods with Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase (CMIP) climate models have long been debated. However, it is crucial to obtain an accurate assessment result to help with better decision-making. In this study, we used the Lake Dianchi Basin (LDB) as a case study to demonstrate the use of a sub-catchment scale integrated model framework to obtain detailed hydrological simulation results and a comprehensive impact assessment of climate change on hydrological regimes. The results showed that 1) For the sub trophic lake basin LDB, its hydrological regimes are significantly impacted by climate change. Precipitation change impacted greater than air temperature change. 2) The 19 hydrological indicators showed large variations among the 18 climate scenarios. Precipitation impacted much greater than air temperature, and wet season might be impacted more by climate change. Climate change might impact more on 1/3/7-day minimums/maximums than 30/90-day minimums/maximums. 3) Enormous ecological and socio-economic risk for the LDB were indicated as its hydrologic regime is vulnerable to climate change. Among all six sub-catchments, Sub_06, characterized by a hilly landscape, would be impacted the most by climate change. 4) This study showed that, in regions with complex climatic conditions and topography, it is necessary to simulate hydrological states at the sub-catchment scale and differences of responses of each indicator to climate change should be fully considered.
Clinical efficacy of autogenous vertebrae-filled polyetheretherketone cage in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion with instrumentation
Authors: Li Xusheng , Zhan Xuehua , Chang Long , Qiao Yongdong , Ding Huiqiang , Yuan Haifeng
Published: April 2021

Background. Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion with instrumentation (ACDFI) have been widely used in the treatment of the degenerative disease or traumatic instability of the cervical spine. This study aimed to investigate the clinical efficacy of the autologous vertebral-filled polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cage in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion with instrumentation (ACDFI).Material and Methods. The clinical data of 368 patients who received ACDFI from September 2015 to September 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the material that filled PEEK cage during the surgery, the patients were divided into two groups, the autologous vertebrate group (n = 185) and the autologous iliac group (n = 183). The operative time, operative blood loss, postoperative complications in two groups were recorded and analyzed. The bone graft fusion and postoperative functional outcomes, including scores of modified Japanese Orthopedic Association score (mJOA), Neck Disability Index (NDI), and visual analog scale (VAS) were compared.Results. Patients were followed-up for 14.04 ± 0.98 months. At a 6-months follow-up, the rate of spinal fusion was 96.29% (178/185) in the vertebral group and 95.94% (176/183) in the iliac group, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). The postoperative VAS, mJOA, and NDI scores were not significantly different between two groups during the follow-up (P>0.05). The operative time and blood loss in the vertebral group were significantly less than that of the iliac group (P<0.01). In the iliac group, all patients suffered pain in the iliac donor site, 65 patients suffered numbness, 12 patients had fat liquefaction in donor incision, while all patients in the vertebral group had no postoperative complications. Conclusion. The autologous vertebrae-filled PEEK cage can achieve the same clinical outcome as the autologous iliac, but the autologous vertebrae filled PEEK cage have the advantage of shorter operative time, less intraoperative blood loss, and postoperative complications.
Dissolving Microneedle Rollers for Rapid Transdermal Drug Delivery
Authors: Zhang Xiao Peng , Zhang Bao Li , Chen Bo Zhi , Zhao Ze Qiang , Guo Xin Dong
Published: April 2021

Dissolving microneedle patch (DMNP) is a minimally invasive and painless self-administration device. However, due to “bed-of-needles” effect and skin deformation, it is difficult to apply it on the large areas of skin or curved skin as the patch size increased for DMNP. Here, we propose a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based dissolving microneedle roller (DMNR) device that can be used for delivering drugs rapidly on the large surface areas or curved skin and does not need to be attached on the skin all the time during drug delivery. The hypoglycemic effect of insulin-loaded DMNRs for transdermal delivery of insulin was studied on the type 1 diabetic rat models. It was found that the insulin-loaded DMNR has an immediate and effective hypoglycemic effect that the blood glucose level reduced below to 50% of original blood glucose at 1 hour after DMNRs administrated.
Yiqi Fumai Injection for patients with Septic Shock: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Chen Bo-jun , Jing Zeng , Xingui Cai , Hairong Cai , Sicong Luo , Shuling Liu , Shuai Zhao , Zhishang Li , Weizhang Zhang , Bojun Chen
Published: April 2021

Background: Septic shock is an important problem in critical care medicine and one of the leading causes of death in intensive care units (ICU). In China, Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been widely used as the adjuvant treatment to improve the symptoms and prognosis in patients with septic shock. Yiqi Fumai Injection (YFI) is one of the most important proprietary TCM for septic shock, previous studies have demonstrated its efficacy and safety. However, these conclusions were limited due to the small sample size and low quality of methodologies of these studies. Therefore, we designed this study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of using YFI as an adjunct treatment for septic shock.Methods/design: This is a double-blind, randomized, parallel, placebo-controlled clinical trial. A total of 800 participants will be randomly assigned to receive either treatment or placebo in a 1:1 ratio. The treatment group will receive YFI combined with conventional treatment, and the control group will receive 0.9% sodium chloride injection combined with conventional treatment for 2 weeks. The primary outcome is the 28-days mortality. Secondary outcomes are blood lactate levels, hemodynamics, blood gas analysis, immune function indicators, inflammatory indicators, acute physiology improvement and chronic health assessment (APACHE) II scores, and sepsis-related organ failure score (SOFA). Adverse events will be observed and recorded at the same time for safety assessment.Discussion: This randomized controlled trial will help evaluate the efficacy and safety of YFI for the treatment of septic shock. The results of this trial will provide recommendations for the management of septic shock.Trial registration {2a and 2b}：China Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR-1900026424.Registered on 15 June 2019.
Usefulness of the PET/CT to predict the progression and mortality risk in patients with diffuse interstitial lung disease
Authors: Chacón Beatriz Morales , García-Esqu Marta Garcia , Candil Aida Ortega , García Irene Serrano , Álvarez-Sala José Luis , Alcázar Lydia Abásolo , Barbero María Asunción Nieto
Published: April 2021

Objective: to assess the capacity of the PET/CT to predict pulmonary function deterioration and increased mortality risk in patients with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP) and to establish a possible SUVmax cutoff which identifies these patients. Material and methods: retrospective study between January 2007-December 2020. Inclusion criteria: patients > 18 years of age, diagnosed with IIP by PET/CT and pulmonary function test, with less than 6 months’ difference between the two tests. A study was made of the outcome variables associated with the PET/CT, the pulmonary function test measured at 2 stages (initially at the time of the PET/CT and at the end of follow-up), the mortality risk (using the GAP index) and the relationship between them all. Other variables of interest observed were age, sex, department requesting the PET/CT, indication, and the presence of lung cancer (LC). The statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS program. Results: 39 patients were analysed: 34 males (87%), with an age of 75 ± 8 years (mean ± DS). The mean ± SD of the SUVmax was 2.57 ± 1.17, with a statistically insignificant difference (p = 0.670) between patients with and without lung cancer. LC was confirmed in 21 cases (54%). There is a small inverse correlation between the SUVmax and the initial and final predicted FVC% (r= -0.154, r= -0.252), together with a medium correlation for the initial and final predicted DLCO% (r= -0.523, r= -0.514). The mean ± SD of the GAP index was 3.77 ± 1.08. There is a medium correlation between the SUVmax and the mortality risk of stages I and II (r = 0.468). By means of ROC curve analysis, an SUVmax of 2.2 was established to predict the fall of the FVC below 80%, of 1.9 to predict the fall of the DLCO below 60%, and of 2.15 to predict the progression from GAP stage I to II in mortality risk. Conclusions: There is an inverse correlation between the SUVmax and the pulmonary function, together with a direct relationship between the SUVmax and the mortality risk.
Functional movement screen evaluation system for the prevention of military training injuries: a prospective study in China
Authors: Zeng Jing , Zhang Rong-Bing , Wang Wei , Ke Jing-Jiu , Wu Xiang , Chen Li-Hua , Xiao Jun
Published: April 2021

Background: Military training injury is a difficult problem in the field of military training. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of functional movement screen (FMS) evaluation system and individualized intervention measures in preventing military training injuries.Methods: A total of 420 recruits from a unit of the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA) were included as the research object. According to random grouping method, they were divided into observation group (Group A) and control group (Group B) , with 210 patients in each group. Before recruit training, individual FMS were performed, and functional correction training was performed in the observation group according to the test scores, while no intervention measures were applied in the control group. After three months of training, the tests were repeated. Age, body mass index (BMI) and incidence of military training injuries were recorded during the training period.Results: There was no statistical difference between the two groups in age, BMI, FMS score before the training (P > 0.05). After receiving functional correction training, the FMS score of the Group A was higher than that of the Group B, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The incidence of military training injury in Group A and Group B was 20.95% and 44.02%, respectively (P < 0.05), and the difference was statistically significant.Conclusion: The evaluation system of FMS and individualized intervention measures are feasible and effective in predicting and reducing the occurrence of military training injuries.