bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Two EUS-Guided Liver Biopsy Techniques (“Wet Heparin” and “Wet Saline”) For Benign Parenchymal Liver Disease
Authors: Saraireh Hamzeh , Abdelfattah Thaer , Hassouneh Ramzi , Lippman Robert , Puri Puneet , Mutha Pritesh , Singh Simran , Michael Fuchs , Tilak Shah
Published: April 2021

Background: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided liver biopsy (EUS-LB) has emerged as a viable mean to obtain core tissue. Different wet suction techniques using saline or heparin have been described. We aimed to compare tissue adequacy with the “wet saline” (WS) technique compared to the “wet heparin” (WH) technique.Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of patients who underwent EUS-LB and Percutaneous liver biopsy (PLB-LB) for benign parenchymal liver disease between May 2017 to October 2019. All procedures were performed at a single tertiary Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC).Results: A total of 257 biopsies from 217 patients were included. Among the 102 EUS-LB specimens, 53 were obtained using WS technique and 49 were obtained using WH technique. Specimen adequacy was similar in the both groups. Median ASL and length of longest piece did not differ significantly between both groups. Clots were present more frequently in the WS group. Among patients who underwent EUS-LB of both right and left liver lobes, an adequate biopsy was obtained in 85% of patients in the WS group and 96% of patients in the WH group. EUS-LB showed lower risk of post procedural pain and complication rates when compared with percutaneous liver biopsy (PLB). To our knowledge, this is the first study to compare diagnostic accuracy between WH and WS EUS-LB techniques, and to compare post-procedure pain between EUS-LB and moderate sedation PLB. WH-EUS-LB may be preferable to WS because of fewer clots in the specimen. Prospective studies are needed to further verify these findings.
An alternative PCR assay with high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of swine toxoplasmosis based on the GRA14 gene
Authors: He Xi , Zhou Derong , Sun Yanwu , Zhang Yuan , Zhang Xiaogang , Weng Yabiao , Lin Ruiqing
Published: April 2021

Background

Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular apicomplexan protozoan parasite, can infect all warm-blooded animals. Infected swine are considered one of the most important sources of T. gondii infection in humans. Rapidly and effectively diagnosing T. gondii infection in swine is essential. PCR-based diagnostic tests have been fully developed, and very sensitive and specific PCR is crucial for the diagnosis of swine toxoplasmosis.
Methods

To established a high specificity and sensitivity PCR detection method for swine toxoplasmosis, we used T. gondii GRA14 gene as target to design specific primers and established a PCR detection method for swine toxoplasmosis. A total of 5462 blood specimens collected from pigs in 5 provinces and autonomous regions in southern China during 2016–2017 were assessed by the newly established GRA14 gene PCR method.
Result

Altogether, we used T. gondii GRA14 gene as target to design specific primers and established a high specificity and sensitivity PCR detection method for swine toxoplasmosis; in particular, this PCR method could detect T. gondii tachyzoite DNA in the acute infection phase. The GRA14 gene PCR assay detected a minimum of 2.35 tachyzoites of T. gondii, and it could be used for T. gondii detection in blood, tissue, semen, urine and waste feed specimens. The overall T. gondii infection rate was 18.9% (1033/5462) by the newly established GRA14 gene PCR method. According to statistical analysis among different regions, the positive rates of swine toxoplasmosis in the Shaanxi, Fujian and Guangdong areas in China from 2016 to 2017 were the highest, at 31.7% (44/139), 21.9% (86/391) and 18.8% (874/4645), respectively (χ2 = 84.2, P < 0.0001). Specimens collected in 2017 had a higher positive rate (19.1% or 886/4639) than those collected in 2016 (16.1% or 155/963) (χ2 = 4.5, P < 0.05). Specimens collected in autumn (39.4% or 187/474), spring (22.8% or 670/2940) and winter (18.2% or 129/709) also had higher positive rates than those collected in summer (3.8% or 57/1479) (χ2 = 427.7, P < 0.0001).
Conclusions

These results indicate that the new PCR method based on the T. gondii GRA14 gene would be useful for the diagnosis of swine toxoplasmosis and that it would facilitate the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis in clinical laboratories.
A hypoxia-related gene pairs signature for predicting overall survival in lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Li Kang , Zhang Bo
Published: April 2021

Background: Increasing evidence has depicted the clinical importance of the correlation between hypoxia and immune status in lung adenocarcinoma environment (LUAD). However, the reliable prognostic signatures based on the interaction of hypoxia and immune status are still limited. Therefore, we strived to construct a hypoxia-immune-related gene pairs signature for risk assessment and stratification for patients with LUAD.Methods: Gene expression profiles and clinical data of patients with lung adenocarcinoma were acquired from two public data sets, used as training and validation cohorts respectively. Different bioinformatics and statistical methods were applied to construct a robust hypoxia-related gene pairs (HRGPs) signatures for predicting overall survival in lung adenocarcinoma. Furthermore, we explored the correlation between HRGPs signature and infiltrating immune cells using the CIBERSORT algorithm in LUAD samples.Results: Among 146 hypoxia-related genes, a 13 HRGPs signature was built that was significantly associated with OS in the training cohort (P<0.01). In the validation cohort, the HRGPs signature stratified patients into high- and low-risk groups with a significant OS difference (P=0.04). After adjusting the other clinical factors, the developed HRGPs signature remained independent in multivariate analysis. Plasma cells and NK cells resting were significantly correlated with the OS of patients with LUAD. Functional analysis showed that the high-risk group was enriched in terms of DNA replication, lymphocyte apoptotic process, and cell cycle-related pathways.Conclusion: The HRGPs signature represents a promising risk model for patient’s stratification in LUAD. It might provide new insights into clinical decision-making regarding individualized treatment.
Outcomes of Post-traumatic Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with and without Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) at A Level-1 Trauma Center
Authors: Al-Thani Hassan , Al-Hassani Ammar , El-Menyar Ayman , Asim Mohammad , Fawzy Ibrahim
Published: April 2021

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the outcomes of post-traumatic acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in patients with and without Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support.Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted for trauma patients who developed ARDS at a level I trauma facility between 2014 and 2020. Data were analyzed and compared between ECMO and non-ECMO group.Results: We identified 85 patients with ARDS (22 patients had ECMO support and 63 matched patients managed by the conventional mechanical ventilation. The two groups were comparable for age, sex, injury severity score, abbreviated injury score, shock index, SOFA score, and head injury. Kaplan Meier survival analysis showed that the survival in the ECMO group was initially close to that of the non-ECMO, however, during follow-up, the survival rate was better in the ECMO group, but did not reach statistical significance (Log-rank, p=0.43 and Tarone-Ware, p=0.37). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that acute kidney injury (AKI) (Odds ratio 13.03; 95% CI 3.17-53.54) and brain edema (Odds ratio 4.80; 95% CI 1.10-21.03) were independent predictors of mortality. Sub-analysis showed that in patients with severe Murray Lung Injury (MLI) scores, non-ECMO group had higher mortality than the ECMO group (100% vs 36.8%, p=0.004).Conclusion: Although ARDS is uncommon in trauma patients, it has a high mortality. ECMO therapy was used in a quarter of ARDS cases. AKI and brain edema were the predictors of mortality among ARDS patients. ECMO use did not worsen the outcome in trauma patients; however, the survival was better in those who had severe MLI and ECMO support. Further prospective study is needed to define the appropriate selection criteria for the use of ECMO to optimize the outcomes in trauma patients.
Tunable Terahertz Wavelength Conversion Based on Optofluidic infiltrated Rib Silicon Waveguides
Authors: Pakarzadeh H. , Hosseinabadi S. , Amiri Iraj Sadegh
Published: April 2021

Terahertz (THz) sources for various applications have attracted especial attention. Compared with the standard silica-based optical fibers, silicon waveguides have advantages such as higher refractive index and lower absorption loss over the THz region. In this paper, for the first time, a rib silicon waveguide based on the photonic crystal (PC) idea is designed and by using the scalar modulation instability (SMI) phenomenon, tunable wavelength conversion for generation of THz radiation is simulated. By changing the structural parameters such as the air-hole diameter of the PC and infiltration of optical fluids into the air holes, linear and nonlinear characteristics of the waveguide are controlled and hence the generated THz radiation is considered as a tunable source. Simulation presents the maximum converted wavelength of 326.17µm is obtained when the air-hole diameter is set at d=0.86μm, where pump wavelength is in the normal dispersion regime. Also, we have infiltrated optical fluids into PC air holes in order to change the dispersion properties of the waveguide while keeping the geometrical parameters unchanged. This led to converted wavelengths of 70.5, 76.8 and 107.5 μm, all located in the terahertz region. The loss of this waveguide is less than 0.8 db/cm , which is less than that of previously reported in similar silicon waveguides.
Post-traumatic trigeminal neuropathy: correlation between objective and subjective assessments and a prediction model for neurosensory recovery
Authors: Meewis Jeroen , Renton Tara , Jacobs Reinhilde , Politis Constantinus , Cruyssen Fréderic Van der
Published: April 2021

Background: Post-traumatic trigeminal neuropathy (PTN) can have a substantial effect on patient well-being. However, the relation between the neuropathic symptoms and their effect on psychosocial functioning remains a matter of debate. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between objective and subjective assessments of neurosensory function in PTN and predict neurosensory outcome using baseline measurementsMethods: This prospective observational cohort study included patients diagnosed with PTN at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Leuven, Belgium, between April 2018 and May 2020. Standardized objective and subjective neurosensory examinations were recorded simultaneously on multiple occasions during the follow-up period. Correlation analyses and principal component analysis were conducted, and a prediction model of neurosensory recovery was developed. Results: Quality of life correlated significantly (P < 0.05) with percentage of affected dermatome (r = -0.35), the presence of brush stroke allodynia (r = -0.24), gain-of-function sensory phenotype (r = -0.41), Medical Research Council Scale (r = 0.36), and Sunderland classification (r = -0.21). Quality of life was not significantly correlated (P > 0.05) with directional discrimination, stimulus localization, two-point discrimination, or sensory loss-of-function. The prediction model showed a negative predictive value for neurosensory recovery after 6 months of 87%Conclusions: We found a strong correlation of subjective well-being with the presence of brush stroke allodynia, thermal and/or mechanical hyperesthesia, and the size of the neuropathic area. These results suggest that positive symptoms dominate the effect on affect. In patients reporting poor subjective well-being in the absence of positive symptoms or a large neuropathic area, additional attention towards psychosocial triggers might enhance treatment outcome. The prediction model could contribute to establishing realistic expectations about the likelihood of neurosensory recovery but remains to be validated in future studies.
Community Knowledge and Practice on Sanitation, Hygiene, Household water utilization and Prevalence of Diarrhea in Afabet City, Northern Red Sea Zone; Eritrea: Cross Sectional study: 2020
Authors: Tesfai Berhe , Milkyas Hagos , Kibreab Fitsum , Goitom Meron , Berhe Hermon , Amine Asrat
Published: April 2021

Background: Water and sanitation entitles the human right to affordable access and sanitation. The objective of this study was to determine the knowledge and practice on sanitation, hygiene and water utilization and to estimate the prevalence of diarrhea in Afabet city.Methods: It was a community-based descriptive cross-sectional type of study with a multistage cluster sampling technique. First 12 clusters were selected from the city and 30 households were nominated from each cluster, then a total of 360 individuals were sampled and every family head was interviewed. A structured interviewer administered questionnaire and field observation was used for data collection from December 05-20, 2020. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ministry of Health Research and Ethics Clearance Committee and written informed consent was signed by each respondent. Cross tabulation and association of variables using chi-square test was determined. Results: A total of 360 respondents were enrolled in the study with females (75.3%) and Muslim (98.9%) predominance. Above half (65.3%) and (67.5%) were satisfied with the amount and quality of water they received respectively. The prevalence of diarrhea in the community in the last six months of 2020 was 12.5%. The investigators practically approved that 88.9% of the communities revealed functional toilets and feces were observed in only 4.7% of the living area in the community. The community’s comprehensive good knowledge and practice was 99.4% and 93.9% respectively. Study participants from administrative area of one and three and those from four and five had the best good practice and practicing hand washing of greater than five times a day respectively (p=0.001). Respondents from administrative area of two were traveling longer distance to municipality water source (p<0.001). Conclusion: The community had good level of knowledge and practice but the prevalence of diarrhea was relatively high. Latrines were highly utilized but the usage of soap, personal and food hygiene was slightly low. The level of comprehensive practice, prevalence of diarrhea, distance to municipality water source and hand washing practice was associated to the administrative areas. Enhancing environmental sanitation, personal hygiene and provision of adequate and clean water are highly recommended.
Comparison of Lumbarperitoneal Shunt with the Stereotactic Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt for the Treatment of Refractory Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension：A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Gao Changsong , Zhang Hongtao , Fu Jidi
Published: April 2021

BackgroundIdiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) or pseudotumor cerebri (PTC), is a disorder of young obese females and characterized by headache, papilledema with raised intracranial pressure in the absence of known pathological cause. Due to the uncertainty of etiology, it may lead to misdiagnosis and poor outcome. IIH is typically treated with shunts (lumbarperitoneal and ventriculoperitoneal shunting), but shunts are prone to malfunction and infection, resulting in many patients experiencing recurrent headaches post-treatment. Case presentationWe report a case of 41 years old obese female (BMI:30.9) with IIH who exhibited a history of hypertension (BP:150/100mmHg) and documented elevated intracranial pressure (OP:450mm H2O). After the failure of several medical treatments, the patient was offered LPS due to vision loss and headache, but postoperative symptoms (intermittent headache-mainly whole craniocerebral prickling pain accompanied by neck and shoulder pain) did not significantly relieve lasting for 11 years. Therefore, we considered the blockage of the primary shunt tube in the patient, and the patient with a small ventricle leads to some difficulty in ventricle puncture, then we had to treated with the stereotactic VPS（VPS）for her exacerbation symptoms. More surprisingly, the hypertension was within the normal range (<115/80mmHg) after the surgery (without antihypertensive medication).Purpose To compare the surgical therapeutic effects and complications of lumbarperitoneal shunt (LPS) and the stereotactic ventriculoperitoneal shunt (SVPS) for idiopathic intracranial hypertension.ConclusionCSF diversion with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) or lumboperitoneal shunt (LPS) is usually performed when the main symptom is vision loss and it also stabilizes headache and papilledema. LPS significantly alleviates symptoms in the short term, but due to excessive shunt of LPS long time, it is easy to be complicated with iatrogenic Chiari malformation and slit ventricle syndrome. Therefore, we are encouraged to apply the SVPS on our patients for the favorable long-term outcome.
Hybrid promoter engineering strategies in Yarrowia lipolytica: isoamyl alcohol production as a test study
Authors: Zhao Yu , Liu Shiqi , Lu Zhihui , Zhao Baixiang , Wang Shuhui , Zhang Cuiying , Xiao Dongguang , Foo Jee Loon , Yu Aiqun
Published: April 2021

Background

In biological cells, promoters drive gene expression by binding to RNA polymerase specifically. They determine the starting position, timing and level of gene expression. Therefore, rational fine-tuning of promoters to regulate the expression levels of target genes for metabolic engineering applications to optimize biosynthetic pathways has recently become an active area of research.
Results

In this study, we systematically detected and characterized the common promoter elements in the unconventional yeast Yarrowia lipolytica, and constructed an artificial hybrid promoter library that covers a wide range of promoter strength. We also report for the first time that upstream activation sequences (UAS) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae promoters can be functionally transferred to Y. lipolytica. Subsequently, using the production of a versatile platform chemical isoamyl alcohol as a test study, the hybrid promoter library was applied to optimize the biosynthesis pathway expression in Y. lipolytica. Under the control of PUAS1B8−LEUm, the strongest promoter we constructed, overexpression of a key pathway gene led to 7.7-fold increase in the titer of isoamyl alcohol. Interestingly, a much weaker promoter PUAS1B4−EXPm increase the isoamyl alcohol titer by 30.3-fold. These results suggest that our hybrid promoter library can be a powerful toolkit for identifying optimum promoters for expressing metabolic pathways in Y. lipolytica.
Conclusion

We envision that this promoter engineering strategy and the rationally engineered promoters constructed in this study could also be extended to other non-model fungi for strain improvement.
BMI and age associated variations in the gut microbiome: A pan India, cross sectional study
Authors: Nallasamy Kumaresan , Gokhale Sucheta , Bhaduri Anirban , Dubey Ashok Kumar
Published: April 2021

In the current study, we aimed to investigate the association between gut microbiome composition and two physiological factors, BMI and age. We did not observe a significant relationship between occurrence of gut bacteria with BMI or age alone. On the other hand, we observed BMI and age together played an important role in impacting gut microbiota composition. Comparison of the microbiota of normal and obese subjects for the each of 20s and 50s group revealed 13 gut bacteria that show significantly different relative abundance in the two groups. We observed that certain organisms show opposite trends within the two age groups. Haemophilus parainfluenzae relative abundance was found to be increased in obese-20s group while reduced in obese-50s group. Relative abundance of organisms such as Mitsuokella jalaludini and Blautia obeum were reduced in obese-20s group while increased in obese-50s group as compared to the normal subjects of respective age group. On the other hand, a reduction in the average relative abundance of both M. jalaludini and B. obeum for obese group as compared to the normal in pan-India only BMI-based group comparison. While studying obesity-related gut microbiota changes, it is critical to consider multiple factors such as age and geography into the study design.
Salvianolic acid-B improves fat graft survival by promoting proliferation and adipogenesis
Authors: Sun Jia-Ming , Ho Chia-Kang , Gao Ya , Chong Chio-Hou , Zheng Dan-Ning , Zhang Yi-Fan , Li Yu
Published: April 2021

Background: Our previous study proved that Salvia miltiorrhiza could enhance fat graft survival by promoting adipogenesis. However, the effect of salvianolic acid B (Sal-B), the most abundant and bioactive water-soluble compound in Salvia miltiorrhiza, on fat graft survival has not yet been investigated.Objective: This study aims to investigate whether salvianolic acid B could improve fat graft survival and promote preadipocyte differentiation. The underlying mechanism has also been studied.Methods: In vivo, 0.2 ml of Coleman fat was transplanted into nude mice with salvianolic acid B. The grafts were evaluated by HE and IF at 2 and 4 weeks posttransplantation and by micro-CT at 4 weeks posttransplantation. In vitro, the adipogenesis and proliferative activities of salvianolic acid B were analyzed in cultured human adipose-derived stem cells (h-ADSCs) and 3T3-L1 cells to detect the mechanism by which salvianolic acid B affects graft survival.Results: In vivo, the weights and volumes of the fat grafts in the Sal-B-treated groups were significantly higher than those of the fat grafts in the control group. In addition, higher fat integrity and more viable adipocytes were observed in the Sal-B-treated groups. In vitro, salvianolic acid B showed the ability to promote 3T3-L1 and h-ADSC proliferation and adipogenesis.Conclusions: Our in vitro experiments demonstrated that salvianolic acid B can promote the proliferation of adipose stem cells and enhance the differentiation of adipose stem cells. Simultaneously, in vivo experiments showed that salvianolic acid B can improve the survival rate of fat transplantation. Therefore, our research shed light on the potential therapeutic usage of salvianolic acid B in improving the survival rate of fat transplantation.
¿Para qué ironizamos? Reflexiones de adolescentes de 12 y 15 años sobre las funciones de la ironía verbal
Authors: Hess Zimmermann Karina , Fernández Ruiz Graciela , Silva López Andrea Minerva
Published: April 2021

Para establecer las razones por las que un hablante elige un enunciado irónico por encima de uno literal es necesario evaluar la mente del hablante y su intención al emplear la ironía verbal en un contexto comunicativo específico. Con base en lo anterior, el objetivo de este estudio es analizar la manera en que adolescentes de 12 y 15 años reflexionan sobre las funciones de la ironía verbal en dos tipos de enunciados irónicos: agradecimiento y ofrecimiento. Treinta y dos adolescentes se enfrentaron a diferentes situaciones comunicativas que finalizaban con un enunciado irónico, y mediante un guion de preguntas se indagó sobre las funciones que los participantes atribuían a cada enunciado irónico y sobre el tipo de conocimientos en los que basaban sus reflexiones. Los resultados muestran diferencias debidas a la edad en la cantidad y calidad de las reflexiones presentadas por los participantes.
Objectively Structured Clinical Teaching (OSCT) in Undergraduate Clinical Teaching: A Pilot Study
Authors: Singh HMP , Mohanraj Jaiprakash , Jaiprakash Heethal , Joshi Veena , Achanna Siva , Jegasothy Ravindran
Published: April 2021

In this study, the efficacy of a clinical teaching tool, objectively structured clinical teaching (OSCT) was assessed by comparing students’ performance in assessing standardised patients (SPs) and real patients (RPs). The final-year students were randomly divided into two arms and their performance in three different disciplines such as medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology (O&G) and primary care medicine (PCM) was assessed with RPs in one arm and SPs/simulated patients in the other. The assessments were conducted in history-taking, clinical examination and management stations by the content experts under a structured rubric. Students’ scores in each arm were compared in the respective disciplines and overall. The perceptions of both students and SPs were recorded. The OSCT and rotational average scores of the participant students in SPs and RPs were compared. The students’ mean scores for their rotational exam and OSCT were 65.31 ± 5.56 and 61.14 ± 8.53, respectively. The performance at the management station in O&G was significantly higher compared with medicine and PCM. The overall performance at all other stations in the three disciplines was comparable, with no significant difference. The reliability and content validity of OSCT was established by calculating Cronbach’s alpha and testing content validity. The results indicated that OSCT is an innovative and effective teaching tool that can be used in clinical teaching in the early clinical years to lower the student load in hospitals in a cost-effective manner.
Comparing Faculty Development Needs of Basic Sciences and Clinical Teachers During Major Curricular Reform at Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz Medical College in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Farghaly Amira
Published: April 2021

The required competencies of the medical graduates are changing, and by turn those of medical educators are changing as well. The aim of this study was to compare the faculty development (FD) needs of basic sciences and clinical teachers at the College of Medicine, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University during reforming of the curriculum to an integrated student-centred curriculum. This study is a descriptive cross-sectional study that included an online survey for faculty members to assess their FD needs and priorities. The survey questionnaire included questions about the experience of faculty members in teaching in integrated curricula, motivators to share in FD activities, preferred formats of FD activities, self-perceived competencies and needs in different areas of medical education, and selfperceived current commitment to the 12 roles of medical educators. Comparison between the basic sciences and the clinical teachers’ perceived competencies, priorities and commitment to the roles of the medical teacher took place. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare means. The results of the study showed that the highest self-perceived competencies of faculty members were in lecturing (mean = 4.25±0.99) and constructing multiple choice questions (mean = 4.25±0.92). Statistically significant differences were present between basic sciences and clinical teachers in designing integrated courses (p = 0.02) and clinical teaching (p = 0.03). Significant differences were also present in the perceived importance of certain topics in FD programmes, such as course design, blueprinting and simulation. The study concluded that there are differences between basic medical sciences and clinical teachers in the learning needs and the competencies, which should be taken into consideration during planning for FD activities.
Perception of Undergraduate Medical Students on Educational Environment
Authors: Ahmad Rahman Nurul Husna , Kamaruddin Mohammad Arif , Awang Besar Mohd Nasri , Yaman Mohamad Nurman
Published: April 2021

Educational environment in medical school has a significant influence on the students’ progress in becoming a holistic doctor. Different background of students may have different perception towards their educational environment. The objectives of this study were to explore and ascertain the overall educational environment status of two medical programmes in the Faculty of Medicine of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and to study the common areas of concern in the educational environment. A cross-sectional study was conducted in November 2018 among all the fourth-year undergraduate medical students of session 2018/2019 in the Faculty of Medicine of UKM using the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) questionnaire. A total of 114 (72.61%) respondents had completed the questionnaire. The mean global score of UKM (136.14) was higher than the mean global score of UKM-Universitas Padjadjaran (UKM-UNPAD) (128.74). UKM also noted to have a higher total mean score for all the five subscales than UKM-UNPAD. The highest percentage score was observed in the subscale of Students’ Perception of Learning (SPoL) for UKM (71.89%) and UKM-UNPAD (68.56%). On the other hand, the lowest percentage score was observed among the UKM (62.57%) and UKM-UNPAD (60.04%) respondents in the subscale of Students’ Social Self-Perception (SSSP). Overall, all students across these two main academic programmes perceived the educational environment in UKM positively. However, there are still aspects of the educational environment that could be improved. The existing programmes and academic modules are subjected to rigorous evaluation to be able to meet the medical students’ requirements.
Geological features and the first isotopic data of volcanic rocks in the Iset river basin, East-Urals megazone
Authors: CHERVYAKOVSKIY Vasiliy Stanislavovich
Published: April 2021

Relevance of the work. The Iset river basin contains the most extensive outcrops of volcanogenic formations of the Beklenishchevsky complex of the East Ural megazone, the age of which is determined as Early Carboniferous by the ratio of volcanic rocks with faunistically characterized sedimentary deposits. Volcanics here compose flows of andesite-basaltic and andesitic lavas and lava breccias. There are no geochronological dates specifying the age of the rocks, which makes it difficult to assess their role in the formation of the megazone. Therefore, isotopic dating of these formations is very important. Methods. The U – Pb age and data on the geochemistry of zircons were obtained by laser ablation (LA – ICP – MS). Purpose of the research is to study the features of the geological structure, the material composition of volcanic rocks in the Iset river basin, the geochemistry of zircons from andesites and the determination of their isotopic age. Results of the work and the scope of their application. Lava flows of andesites and basaltic andesites with minor amounts of basalts and dacites have tectonic contact with sedimentary rocks of the Early Carboniferous age. The distribution of rare elements in volcanics is typical of supra-subduction formations. Zircons in andesites are represented by prismatic and isometric crystals. Prismatic differences in the nature of the distribution of REE and the content of Li, Ti, Sr, Th, U refer to zircons of magmatic genesis, isometric – to “hydrothermal”. According to the U / Yb – Y ratios, the former correspond to the zircons of the ocean floor, while the latter are related to the continental ones. Isotopic dating of zircons from andesites was carried out for the first time. Their age was 311 million years. The data can be used in geological mapping, as well as in the compilation of large-scale geodynamic maps and diagrams. Conclusions. Volcanic rocks in the Iset river basin were formed in supra-subduction continental-marginal geodynamic conditions that took place in the Urals in the Carboniferous. The obtained value of the age of zircons from andesites, possibly, fixes the stage of their transformation. Keywords: East-Ural megazone, volcanic rocks, zircon, isotopic age.
Peningkatan Kreativitas Melalui Pelatihan Finger Painting Bagi Guru PAUD
Authors: Sundari Rista , Zahro Fatimatuz
Published: April 2021

Creativity is a very important aspect for everyone because with creativity everyone can express ideas and solve problems creatively. The purpose of the preparation of this research is for PAUD teachers to be able to increase creativity in early childhood learning, especially through finger painting practice training. The research method used is a library research method with data collection techniques from several sources and relevant literature accompanied by content analysis. Teachers are required not only to produce good learning in transforming science but also to hone the potential that exists in students. The results showed that with the training, there were many benefits or advantages obtained by teachers as educators to be able to carry out the teaching and learning process creatively, innovatively, and potentially.
Meningkatkan Kemampuan Bicara Anak Usia Dini Melalui Pembelajaran Menggunakan Media Wayang Modern Karakter Animasi Lucu
Authors: Shanie Arsan , Nur Fadhilah Clarita
Published: April 2021

One of the developments experienced by early childhood is the ability to speak and speak the language. This can be stimulated by using learning media that can generate children's interest in learning. Modern wayang is a learning medium that can improve children's speaking and language skills. The purpose of this study was to determine the improvement of early childhood speech skills using modern wayang media. This research is qualitative descriptive research. The subjects in this study were children in the Ngaliyan District of Semarang. The results of this study are that children's language skills, creativity and innovation increase after being given learning through modern puppet media. Improved children's abilities include listening, responding to comments, speaking more clearly, sorting ideas, discussing and expanding vocabulary.
Generation mechanisms of active free radicals during ciprofloxacin degradation in the ultrasonic/K2S2O8 system
Authors: Cui Yanrui , Yan Xiaopeng , Han GuangZhe , Lin Bin , Wu Qing , Kang Wei , Ma Kaili
Published: April 2021

Ciprofloxacin (CIP) removal efficiency in aqueous solutions in the ultrasonic (US), K2S2O8, and US/K2S2O8 systems was investigated. The free radical generation and action ratio were studied based on variations of K2S2O8 concentration, ultrasonic power, pH, and the addition of isopropanol (ISP) or tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) in the US/K2S2O8 system. The results showed that under conditions of 20 mg·L−1 CIP concentration, 20 mmol·L−1 K2S2O8 concentration, an ultrasonic power of 360 W and pH = 7, CIP removal efficiency in the US/K2S2O8 system was 92.20% after 180 min. The reaction in the US/K2S2O8 system was explicitly divided into two stages: free radical generation and pollutants degradation. The ultrasonic and chain reaction facilitated enhanced generation of SO4−• and HO•. The presence of K2S2O8 can promote HO• generation and K2S2O8 concentration also exerted a significant effect on SO4−• generation, however, high concentrations were not beneficial to the reaction. Quenching reactions occurred under high concentrations of HO• and SO4−•. During the initial stage of the reaction, HO• played a more prominent role than SO4−•, however, the role of SO4−• gradually increased as the reaction proceeded and eventually surpassed HO•.
Preparation, Pharmacokinetic and Application of Gold Nanoclusters (AuNCs) in Tumor Treatment
Authors: Yang Ting , Zhang Jun , Yu Yao , Sun Taolei
Published: April 2021

As a new type of nanomaterials, the gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) perform many
special physical and chemical properties, such as large Stokes shift, relatively simple preparation,
good water solubility, low toxicity, and good biocompatibility, which make
them show infinite potential in various fields, especially in cancer treatment. In recent
years, great progress has been made in the preparation, functionalization, and biomedical
applications of the AuNCs. In this article, the latest research progress and synthesis methods
of the AuNCs have been summarized, emphasizing the preparation using the “bottom-
up” synthesis strategy. Furthermore, we introduced the in vivo pharmacokinetic performance
of the AuNCs. In the last part, we exemplified the applications of the AuNCs
in biomedicine, including photothermal therapy (PTT), bioimaging, drug delivery, and radiotherapy
sensitization, which further confirmed the great potential of the AuNCs in tumor
treatment.
Roles of Cannabidiol in the Treatment and Prevention of Alzheimer’s
Disease by Multi-target Actions
Authors: Zhang Xiao- Bei , Li Jintao , Gu Juanhua , Zeng Yue-Qin
Published: April 2021

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases with
chronic, progressive, and irreversible characteristics, affecting nearly 50 million older adults worldwide.
The pathogenesis of AD includes the formation of senile plaques, the abnormal aggregation of
tau protein and the gradual degeneration and death of cerebral cortical cells. The main symptoms are
memory loss, cognitive decline and behavioral disorders. Studies indicate that cannabidiol (CBD)
possesses various pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidation and neuroprotective
activities. It has been suggested as a potential multi-target medicine for the treatment of
AD. In this review, we aim to summarize the underlying mechanisms and protective effects of CBD
on signaling pathways and central receptors involved in the pathogenesis of AD, including the endocannabinoid
system (eCBs), the Transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1(TRPV1) receptor, and
the Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) receptor.
A Recent Appraisal of Artificial Intelligence and In Silico ADMET Prediction in the Early Stages of Drug Discovery
Authors: Kumar Avinash , Kini Suvarna G. , Rathi Ekta
Published: April 2021

In silico ADMET models have progressed significantly over the past ~4 decades, but
still, the pharmaceutical industry is vexed by the late-stage toxicity failure of lead molecules. This
problem of late-stage attrition of the drug candidates because of adverse ADMET profile motivated
us to analyze the current role and status of different in silico tools along with the rise of machine
learning (ML) based program for ADMET prediction. In this review, we have differentiated
AI from traditional in silico tools because, unlike traditional in silico tools where the final decision
is made manually, AI automates the decision-making prerogative of humans. Due to the large volume
of literature in this field, we have considered the publications in the last two years for our review.
Overall, from the literature reviewed, deep neural networks (DNN) algorithm or deep learning
seems to be the future of ML-based prediction models. DNNs have shown the ability to learn
from more complex data and this gives DNN an edge over other ML algorithms to be applied for
ADMET prediction. Our result also suggests that we need closer collaboration between the ADMET
data generators and those who are employing ML-based tools on this generated data to build
predictive models, so that more accurate models could be developed. Overall, our study concludes
that ML is still a work in progress and its appetite for data has not been sated yet. It needs loads of
more quality data and still some time to prove its real worth in predicting ADMET.
Effectiveness of Azithromycin as Add-on Therapy in COVID-19
Management
Authors: Wahab Shadma , Ahmad Md Faruque , Hussain Arshad , Usmani Shazia , Shoaib Ambreen , Ahmad Wasim
Published: April 2021

:

As winter is approaching us, the possibility of respiratory tract infection is rising in the current
scenario due to the lack of Covid-19 prophylaxis. So no one could be safe until everyone is safe.
Researchers are looking for the vaccine to remove the need for social distancing, mask-wearing, and
social gathering worldwide. We cannot say about the vaccine's effectiveness if the vaccine is available.
Several drugs are being tested to save people's life from the pandemic; azithromycin is one of
them. This work is a review article with the updated findings of azithromycin in the context of
COVID-19. The option of azithromycin regarding COVID-19 is justified by its anti-inflammatory,
immunomodulatory, and anti-fibrotic effects and their pharmacokinetic properties, leading to effective
concentrations in the target tissue. Azithromycin tends to be an effective candidate for SARS-CoV-2
replication inhibition that blocks the initial stage of the viral life cycle. Clinical trials at a preliminary
scale and final stage show the significant results of azithromycin in supportive care therapy. Azithromycin
was an early candidate for the medication of Covid-19 with or without hydroxychloroquine. It
is exercised mainly as an outpatient antibiotic in COVID-19. In summing up, any primary anti-viral
and antibiotic treatment is not the only possibility of fighting COVID-19 pharmacologically. It will be
an injustice to those who require broader spectrum antibiotics if we do not use azithromycin. So significant
research priority is needed to determine whether azithromycin is useful in the treatment of
COVID-19.
Chemotherapeutic Strategies for Combating Staphylococcus aureus Infections
Authors: Sharma Namita , Chhillar Anil Kumar , Dahiya Sweety , Punia Aruna , Choudhary Pooja , Gulia Prity , Behl Akanksha , Dangi Mehak
Published: April 2021

Staphylococcus aureus is a prominent human pathogen that causes nosocomial and community
acquired infections. The accelerating emergence and prevalence of staphylococcal infections
have grotesque health consequences which are mostly due to its anomalous capability to acquire drug
resistance and scarcity of novel classes of antibacterials. Many combating therapies are centered on
primary targets of S. aureus which are cell envelope, ribosomes and nucleic acids. This review describes
various chemotherapeutic strategies for combating S. aureus infections including monotherapy,
combination drug therapy, phage endolysin therapy, lysostaphins and antibacterial drones. Monotherapy
has dwindled in due course of time, but combination therapy, endolysin therapy, lysostaphin
and antibacterial drones are emerging alternatives which efficiently conquer the shortcomings of
monotherapy. Combinations of more than one antibiotic agents or combination of adjuvant with antibiotics
provide a synergistic approach to combat infections causing pathogenic strains. Phage endolysin
therapy and lysostaphin are also presented as possible alternatives to conventional antibiotic therapies.
Antibacterial Drones go a step further by specifically targeting the virulence genes in bacteria,
giving them a certain advantage over existing antibacterial strategies. But the challenge remains on the
better understanding of these strategies for executing and implementing them in the health sector. In
this day and age, most of the S. aureus strains are resistant to an ample number of antibiotics, so there
is an urgent need to overcome such multidrug-resistant strains for the welfare of our community.
Green Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles as Silver Lining in Antimicrobial
Resistance: A Review
Authors: Garg Munish , Parashar Sonia , Sharma Manish Kumar , Garg Chanchal
Published: April 2021

Unprincipled use of antibiotics has led to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) against mostly
available compounds, and has now become a major cause of concern for the scientific community.
However, in the past decade, green synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have received greater
attention for the development of newer therapies as antimicrobials by virtue of their unique physico-
chemical properties. Unlike traditional antibiotics, AgNPs exert their action by acting on multiple
mechanisms, which make them potential candidates against AMR. Green synthesis of AgNPs
using various medicinal plants has demonstrated a broader spectrum of action against several microbes
in a number of attempts. The present paper provides an insight into the scientific studies
that have elucidated the positive role of plant extracts/phytochemicals during the green synthesis of
AgNPs and their future perspectives. The studies conducted so far seem promising; still, a few factors
like the precise mechanism of action of AgNPs, their synergistic interaction with biomolecules,
and industrial scalability, need to be explored further till effective drug development using
green synthesized AgNPs in healthcare systems against AMR is established.
Predicting Metabolic Reaction Networks with Perturbation-Theory Machine Learning (PTML) Models
Authors: Diéguez-Santana Karel , Casañola-Martin Gerardo M. , Green James R. , Rasulev Bakhtiyor , González-Díaz Humberto
Published: April 2021

Background:

Checking the connectivity (structure) of complex Metabolic Reaction Networks
(MRNs) models proposed for new microorganisms with promising properties is an important
goal for chemical biology.

Objective:

In principle, we can perform a hand-on checking (Manual Curation). However, this is a
challenging task due to the high number of combinations of pairs of nodes (possible metabolic reactions).

Results:

The CPTML linear model obtained using the LDA algorithm is able to discriminate nodes
(metabolites) with the correct assignation of reactions from incorrect nodes with values of accuracy,
specificity, and sensitivity in the range of 85-100% in both training and external validation data
series.

Methods:

In this work, we used Combinatorial Perturbation Theory and Machine Learning techniques
to seek a CPTML model for MRNs >40 organisms compiled by Barabasis’ group. First, we
quantified the local structure of a very large set of nodes in each MRN using a new class of node index
called Markov linear indices fk. Next, we calculated CPT operators for 150000 combinations
of query and reference nodes of MRNs. Last, we used these CPT operators as inputs of different
ML algorithms.

Conclusion:

Meanwhile, PTML models based on Bayesian network, J48-Decision Tree and Random
Forest algorithms were identified as the three best non-linear models with accuracy greater
than 97.5%. The present work opens the door to the study of MRNs of multiple organisms using
PTML models.
Construction of Anatomical Structure-specific Developmental Dynamic Networks for Human Brain on Multiple Omics Levels
Authors: Wang Yingying , Yang Yu , Liu Jianfeng , Li Keshen
Published: April 2021

Background:

Human brain development is a series of complex processes exhibiting profound
changes from gestation to adulthood.

Objective:

We aimed to construct dynamic developmental networks for each anatomical structure of the
human brain based on omics’ levels in order to gain a new systematical brain map on the molecular level.

Methods:

We performed the brain development analyses by constructing dynamical networks between
adjacent time points on different grouping levels of anatomical structures. The gene-time networks were
first built to obtain the developing brain dynamical maps on transcriptome level. Then miRNA-mRNA
networks and protein-protein networks were constructed by integrating the information from miRNomics
and proteomics. The time and structure-specific biomarkers were filtered based on analyses of topological
characters.

Results:

The most dramatic developmental time and structure were fetal-infancy and telencephalon, respectively.
Cortex was the key developmental region in ‘late fetal and neonatal’ and ‘early infancy’.
The development of the temporal lobe was different from other lobes since the significant changes of
molecules were found only in the comparison pair ‘early fetal-early mid-fetal’ and ‘adolescence-young
adulthood’. Interestingly, the changes among different brain structures inside adolescence and adulthood
were bigger than other time points. hsa-miR-548c-3p and H3C2 may be new brain development
indicators considering their key roles in networks.

Conclusion:

To our knowledge, this study is the first report of dynamical brain development maps for
different anatomical structures on multiple omics. The results provide a new sight of brain development
in a systematical way which may provide a more accurate understanding of the human brain.