bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Early-Life Risk Factors of Childhood Wheezing: Results from the NHANES During 2005-2012
Authors: Moradzadeh Rahmatollah , Zamanian Maryam
Published: July 2020

Objectives: Wheezing is the most common cause of hospitalization during childhood. The aim of the present study was to identify early-life risk factors predisposing to childhood wheezing using directed acyclic graph (DAG) analysis.Methods: In this study, we used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data to identify the risk factors associated with wheezing in children aged 1-15 years old in the United States. The data was related to four 2-year cycles from 2005 to 2012. All the adjusted analyses were based on the directed acyclic graph(DAG). The applied logistic regression was performed by survey analysis to adjust the weights of samples.Results: From 13203 children, 87.2% (n = 11 519) had not experienced wheezing during the past year, and 12.8% (n=1684) experienced wheezing during the same time. The mean ages (SD) were 6.6 (4.4) and 7.6 (4.4) years old in wheezing and healthy children respectively. Boys comprised a significantly higher ratio in wheezing compared with healthy children (P = 0.001). Mother smoking during pregnancy (MSDP) was a significant risk factor for childhood wheezing (OR= 1.42, 95% CI: 1.15-1.74, P = 0.001). All ethnicities other than the Mexican-American were established as significant risk factors for childhood wheezing. On the other hand, childhood wheezing was insignificantly associated with Socio-economic status, birth weight, maternal age at pregnancy, and exposure to smoke at home.Conclusion: After adjusting for established confounders, history of MSDP, as well as ethnicity delivered important risk factors for childhood wheezing in a large population of the US.
Demand for Family Planning among Poor Women in Uganda: Analysis of the Uganda Demographic and Health Surveys
Authors: Kabagenyi Allen , Kakande Pamela , Owayezu Vianney
Published: July 2020

Background: Family planning is one of the major cost-effective interventions to improve maternal health, reduce maternal and child mortality, and prevent unplanned pregnancies, yet its use remains low in sub-Saharan Africa, especially among the poor. In Uganda, little is known about the factors influencing the demand for family planning among the poor. This study examines the determinants of demand for family planning among poor women in a limited-resource setting.Methods: The study is based on data from the 2006, 2011, and 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Surveys (UDHS). Multilevel binary logistic regressions were used to examine the influence of different demographic, behavioral, and socioeconomic factors on poor women’s demand for family planning.Results: Our findings showed demand for family planning was 56% in 2006, 60% in 2011, and 65% in 2016 among women in the poorest and poorer household health quintiles who were married or in union. In all three surveys, women age 25-39 had higher odds of demand for family planning compared with women age 15-24. Women with no education had lower odds of demand for family planning compared with those with secondary education. Also, in the 2011 UDHS, women who had heard about family planning on the radio had higher odds of demand for family planning compared with those who had not, and in the 2006 survey women who had discussed family planning at a health facility had higher odds of demand for family planning compared with women who had not done so.Conclusions: Demand for family planning is influenced by a woman’s age, educational attainment, religion, exposure to family planning messages on the radio, and discussion on family planning at a health facility. This study underscores the need for increased family planning counseling by health workers and more discussion about family planning at the health facility. The findings further suggest the need to provide increased adequate family planning services and information for the poor, uneducated, and rural women to meet the demand for family planning.
Differentiation of endogenous Erythropoietin and exogenous ESAs by Western blotting with deglycosylation
Authors: Yasuoka Yukiko , Fukuyama Takashi , Izumi Yuichiro , Yamashita Tetsuro , Nakayama Yushi , Inoue Hideki , Yanagita Kengo , Oshima Tomomi , Yamazaki Taiga , Uematsu Takayuki , Kobayashi Noritada , Shimada Yoshitaka , Nagaba Yasushi , Mukoyama Masashi , Sato Yuichi , Sands Jeff M. , Kawahara Katsumasa , Nonoguchi Hiroshi
Published: July 2020

Doping tests for illegal use of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) have been developed. Here, we show a new Western blotting to distinguish endogenous erythropoietin (Epo, 35-38 kDa) and exogenous ESAs (epoetin alpha and beta; 38-42 kDa, darbepoetin alpha; 47-50 kDa, epoetin beta pegol; 93-110 kDa). In contrast, Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry analyzed all endogenous Epo and exogenous ESAs as delycosylated 22 kDa Epo, indicating that LC/MS analysis could not distinguish Epo and ESAs. We believe that our Western blotting is useful to protect against illegal use of ESAs.
Identification of core genes and pathways in melanoma metastasis via bioinformatics analysis
Authors: Li Yumei , Li Bifei , Chen Fan , Shen Weiyu , Katanaev Vladimir L. , jia lee
Published: July 2020

Background

Metastasis is the leading cause of melanoma mortality. Current therapies are rarely curative for metastatic melanoma, revealing the urgent need to identify more effective preventive and therapeutic targets. This study aimed to screen for the key core genes and molecular mechanisms related to the metastasis of melanoma.

Methods

Gene expression profile, GSE8401 including 31 primary melanoma and 52 metastatic melanoma clinical samples, was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between metastatic melanoma and primary melanoma were screened using GEO2R. Assays of gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genome (KEGG) pathway and protein-protein interaction (PPI) were performed to visualize these DEGs through Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) software and Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING) and Cytoscape with Molecular Complex Detection (MCODE) plug-in tools. Top 10 genes with high degree were defined as hub genes. Furthermore, paired post-metastatic melanoma cells and pre-metastatic melanoma cells were established by experimental mouse model of melanoma metastasis to verify the expression of these hub genes.

Results

424 DEGs between the metastatic melanoma and primary melanoma were screened, including 60 upregulated genes enriched in ECM-receptor interaction and progesterone-mediated oocyte maturation and 364 downregulated genes enriched in amoebiasis, melanogenesis, and ECM-receptor interaction. CDH1, EGFR, KRT5, COL17A1, KRT14, IVL, DSP, DSG1, FLG and CDK1 were defined as the hub genes. . In addition, paired post-metastatic melanoma cells (A375M) and pre-metastatic melanoma cells (A375) were established and qRT-PCR analysis confirmed the expression of the hub genes during melanoma metastasis.

Conclusion

This bioinformatic study has provided a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms of melanoma metastasis. KRT5, IVL and COL17A1 have emerged as possible biomarkers and therapeutic targets in metastasis of melanoma.
What is The Main Problem in The Conservative Management of Complicated Appendicitis? A Meta-Analysis.
Authors: Zhang Chi , Ren Xuemeng , Gao Peng
Published: July 2020

Background: As one of the classified groups of appendicitis, complicated appendicitis has no standardized treatment methods for adults.Method: The efficacy of surgical treatment and conservative treatment for complicated appendicitis was evaluated based on the literatures systematically searched on PubMed, Cochrane and Web of Science. A focus was given to important aspects, such as the outcomes of the length of stay, operation time, postoperative complications and unplanned additional interventions. Result: A total of 14 studies were involved in the meta-analysis, which included 845 patients in the immediate operation group (IO) and 756 patients in the conservative management group (CM). The total hospitalization time for patients with surgical treatment was decreased by 1 day (WMD= -1.29, 95% CI [-2.42, -0.16], P= 0.03< 0.05) compared to that of patients with conservative treatment. The incidence of unplanned additional interventions in patients who underwent emergency surgery is lower than that of patients with conservative treatment (OR=0.18, 95%CI [0.11, 0.30], P<0.00001). Compared to patients with conservative treatment, patients who received surgery are more likely to develop complications such as wound infection (OR=2.41, 95%CI [1.08, 5.38], P=0.03<0.05) and intestinal obstruction (OR=4.14, 95%CI [2.21, 7.75], P<0.00001). The incidence of abdominal abscess in patients with surgery treatment was lower than that of patients with conservative treatment, but the difference was not statistically significant (OR=0.9, 95%CI [0.54, 1.47], P=0.66>0.05). Conclusion: In treating complicated appendicitis, patients who received immediate operation, when compared to patients managed under conservative treatment, have shorter hospitalization time and less unplanned interventions; hence significantly reduce the likelihood of readmission. This can decrease the requirements for follow-up treatments and ultimately lower the consumption of medical resources.
Validation of an Immune-Related Gene Pair Index as a Prognostic Marker of Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Wang Zihao , Xiang Xuan , Wei Xiaoshan , Ye Linlin , Niu Yiran , Peng Wenbei , Li Yu , Wang Xu , Zhang Siyu , Zhou Qiong
Published: July 2020

Background: Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) is one of the subtypes of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and accounts for approximately 20 to 30% of all lung cancers. Methods: In this study, we developed an immune-related gene pair index (IRGPI) for LUSC from 8 public LUSC data sets, including The Cancer Genome Atlas LUSC cohort and Gene Expression Omnibus data sets, and explored the prognostic value of IRGPI for patients with LUSC. Results: IRGPI was constructed by 13 gene pairs consisting of 25 unique immune-related genes from the training cohort. Multivariate cox regression analysis showed that high risk based on IRGPI was an independent risk factor for poor prognosis of patients with LUSC in the training cohort (230 patients; HR= 3.40; 95%CI [2.34-4.94]; p<0.001), the testing cohort (228 patients; HR=2.11; 95%CI [1.48-3.01]; p<0.001) and the validation cohort (472 patients; HR=1.99; 95%CI [1.5-2.63]; p<0.001). The infiltrations of naïve B cells, plasma cells, CD8+ T cells, activated memory CD4+ T cells, gamma delta (γδ) T cells, M1 macrophages, and activated dendritic cells were lower in the high-risk group, as compared with the low-risk group in the TCGA cohort. The infiltrations of neutrophils, activated mast cells, and monocytes were higher in the high-risk group. Conclusions: IRGPI is a significant prognostic biomarker for predicting overall survival in LUSC patients. Combining clinical features with IRGPI will improve prognostic accuracy.
CLDN6 and CLDN10 are Associated with Immune Infiltration of Ovarian Cancer: A Study of Claudin Family
Authors: Gao Peipei , Peng Ting , Cao Canhui , Lin Shitong , Wu Ping , Huang Xiaoyuan , Wei Juncheng , Xi Ling , Yang Qin , Wu Peng
Published: July 2020

Background: Claudin family is a group of membrane proteins related to tight junction. There are many studies about them in cancer, but few studies pay attention to the relationship between them and the tumor microenvironment. In our research, we mainly focused on the genes related to the prognosis of ovarian cancer, and explored the relationship between them and the tumor microenvironment of ovarian cancer.Methods: The cBioProtal provided the genetic variation pattern of claudin gene family in ovarian cancer. The ONCOMINE database and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) were used to exploring the mRNA expression of claudins in cancers. The prognostic potential of these genes was examined via Kaplan-Meier plotter. Immunologic signatures were enriched by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). The correlations between claudins and the tumor microenvironment of ovarian cancer were investigated via Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER).Results: In our research, claudin genes were altered in 363 (62%) of queried patients/samples. Abnormal expression levels of claudins were observed in various cancers. Among them, we found that CLDN3, CLDN4, CLDN6, CLDN10, CLDN15 and CLDN16 were significantly correlated with overall survival of patients with ovarian cancer. GSEA revealed that CLDN6 and CLDN10 were significantly enriched in immunologic signatures about B cell, CD4 T cell and CD8 T cell. What makes more sense is that CLDN6 and CLDN10 were found related to the tumor microenvironment. CLDN6 expression was negatively correlated with immune infiltration level in ovarian cancer, and CLDN10 expression was positively correlated with immune infiltration level in ovarian cancer. Further study revealed the CLDN6 expression level was negatively correlated with gene markers of various immune cells in ovarian cancer. And, the expression of CLDN10 was positive correlated with gene markers of immune cells in ovarian cancer.Conclusions: CLDN6 and CLDN10 were prognostic biomarkers, and correlated with immune infiltration in ovarian cancer. Our results revealed new roles for CLDN6 and CLDN10, and they were potential therapeutic targets in the treatment of ovarian cancer.
“Taking Care of Your Pregnancy”: A Mixed-Methods Study of Group Antenatal Care in Kakamega County, Kenya
Authors: Somji Aleefia , Ramsey Kate , Dryer Sean , Makokha Fredrick , Ambasa Constance , Aryeh Brittany , Booth Kathleen , Xueref Serge , Moore Seneca , Mwenesi Ralpher , Rashid Shafia
Published: July 2020

Background: Traditional antenatal care (ANC) models often do not meet women’s needs for information, counseling, and support, resulting in gaps in quality and coverage. Group ANC (GANC) provides an alternative, person-centered approach where pregnant women of similar gestational age meet with the same health provider for facilitated discussion. There are few studies that show associations between GANC and various outcomes. Methods: We used mixed methods to evaluate a contextualized GANC model (Lea Mimba Pregnancy Clubs) and to understand implementation experiences at six health facilities in Kakamega County, Kenya. Between April 2018 and January 2019, we tracked 1,652 women who were assigned to 162 GANC cohorts to assess ANC retention. Using an intention-to-treat approach, we conducted baseline (N = 112) and endline surveys (N = 360) with women attending immunization visits to assess outcomes and used time diaries to assess wait times. At endline, we conducted 29 in-depth interviews (IDIs) and three focus group discussions with women who were currently and previously participating in GANC, and 15 IDIs with stakeholders.Results: GANC was associated with enhanced social support, with some evidence for improved knowledge, adoption of healthy behaviors, enhanced self-efficacy, and improved experience of care. Quantitatively, we found strong associations with knowledge of danger signs, women who shared their feelings with other women, knowledge and competence of health workers, respect shown by ANC providers, overall quality of care, and birth preparations. No changes were seen in knowledge of positive behaviors, empowerment, several aspects of the experience of care, ANC retention, early ANC, and other healthy behaviors. Qualitatively, women and stakeholders noted improvements in interactions between health providers and women, improved counseling, increased feelings of empowerment to ask questions and speak freely, and strengthened social networks and enhanced social cohesion among women. Both wait times and counseling times increased in GANC compared to traditional ANC.Conclusions: This is one of the few mixed-methods studies evaluating GANC and offers new measures for experience of care, empowerment, and adoption of healthy behaviors. While more research is required, GANC holds promise for enhancing women’s experiences during pregnancy. Modifications are needed for sustainability and scalability.
Identification of hub genes associated with accumulation of extracellular matrix as biomarkers of diabetic nephropathy
Authors: Feng Song-Tao , Gao Yue-Ming , Yin Di , Lv Lin-Li , Wen Yi , Li Zuo-Lin , Wang Bin , Wu Min , Liu Bi-Cheng
Published: July 2020

Background

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) remains a major cause of end stage renal disease (ESRD). The development of novel biomarkers and early diagnosis of DN are of great clinical importance. The goal of this study was to identify hub genes with diagnostic potential for DN by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA).
Methods

Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database was searched for microarray data including distinct types of chronic kidney diseases (CKD). Gene co-expression network was constructed and modules specific for DN were identified by WGCNA. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis was performed and the hub genes were screened out within the selected gene modules. Furthermore, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to evaluate the diagnostic values of hub genes. In addition, an external validation was performed in an independent dataset.
Results

Dataset GSE99339 was selected and a total of 179 microdissected glomeruli samples were analyzed, including DN, normal control and 7 groups of other glomerular diseases. 23 modules of the total 10947 genes were grouped by WGCNA and a module was specifically correlated with DN (r = 0.54, 9e-15). GO analysis showed that module genes were mainly enriched in the accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM). LUM, ELN, FBLN1, MMP2, FBLN5 and FMOD were identified as hub genes. Furthermore, levels of hub genes were the highest in DN compared to other groups, which could differentially diagnose DN (AUC, 0.67 ~ 0.95). External verification showed hub genes were higher in DN group and were negatively correlated with eGFR.
Conclusions

By using WGCNA approach, we identified 6 hub genes, LUM, ELN, FBLN1, MMP2, FBLN5 and FMOD, related to ECM accumulation and were specific for DN. These genes may represent potential candidate diagnostic biomarkers of DN.
Investigation of The Relationship Between CARDS TX and The HMGB1-TLRs-MyD88 Signaling Pathway in MPP
Authors: Fan Yujie , Ding Ying , Li Yuqin , Zhang Dandan , Yu Min , Zhou Weifang , Kong Xiaoxing
Published: July 2020

Background: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between community-acquired respiratory distress syndrome toxin (CARDS TX) and HMGB1-TLRs-MyD88 in Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) and to examine the immune pathogenesis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection. Methods: Children who were diagnosed with MPP and examined by bronchoscopy were included in the MPP group. Additionally, children who underwent bronchoscopy because of bronchial foreign bodies in the same period were included in the control group. Gene expression of CARDS TX, high-mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1), Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), and cluster of differentiation 14 (CD14) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were detected using real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Correlations between CARDS TX and HMGB1-TLRs-MyD88 were analyzed. Results: CARDS TX, HMGB1, TLR2, MyD88, and CD14 mRNA expression in BALF in the MPP group was significantly higher than that in the control group (all P< 0.05). CARDS TX mRNA expression was positively correlated with HMGB1, TLR2, MyD88, and CD14 mRNA expression (all P< 0.05). Furthermore, HMGB1 mRNA expression was positively correlated with TLR2, MyD88, and CD14 mRNA expression (all P< 0.05). Conclusions: CARDS TX may participate in the immune pathogenesis of MPP through the HMGB1-TLRs/CD14-MyD88 pathway.
Design of an Air Blowing Device Above Seedbed: The Effect of Air Disturbance on the Microenvironment and Growth of Tomato Seedlings
Authors: Li Yang , Li Juanqi , Wu Guoxiu , Li Yanman , Shen Aimin , Ma Deli , Li Shengli
Published: July 2020

In recent years, air circulation has been used in protected cultivation to improve the microenvironment around seedlings, which in turn enhances photosynthesis and seedling growth. However, a practical and precise air circulation device has not yet been reported, especially one for growing seedlings in a greenhouse. Considering the use of a seedbed in seedling cultivation, a blower that can move back and forth on the seedbed and accurately control the air velocity is designed. In this experiment, we take the nonblowing treatment as the control (CK); three air velocities (0.3, 0.6, and 0.9 m/s) were selected to investigate the effect of interval blowing on the microenvironment of the canopy, physiology of seedling growth, stomatal characteristics of leaves, and stem mechanics of tomato seedlings. The three air velocities were found to significantly reduce the canopy temperature by 0.44, 0.78, and 1.48 °C lower than the CK, respectively, and leaf temperature by 0.83, 1.57, and 2.27 °C lower than the CK, respectively, in cultivated seedlings during summer. The relative humidity of the tomato seedling canopy decreased by 2.7% to 7.0%. Compared with the CK, the plant height of tomato seedlings decreased by 13.54% and root dry mass, root-shoot ratio, and seedling quality index (SQI) increased by 34.63%, 21.43%, and 14.29%, respectively, at 0.6 m/s. In addition, mechanical indexes such as hardness and elasticity of the tomato seedling stem were higher under air disturbance than those of the CK. The best effect was seen in the treatment with the air velocity of 0.6 m/s, in which the hardness and elasticity of the stem base and the first node were significantly higher than that of the CK. In conclusion, air disturbance generated by the air blowing device we designed effectively improved the microenvironment around the plants, enhanced the physiological activity of the seedlings, and thereby promoted seedling growth.
Petrićev zagonetni govor kroz ustroj Peripatetičkih rasprava
Authors: Čoh Ćiril
Published: July 2020

Članak polazi od pretpostavke da je u Petrićevoj filozofiji sveukupnost analogna filozofiji cjelokupnosti (philosophia universi), odnosno djelu koje ju izlaže. Sve što u sveukupnosti nastaje ima svoje umještanje, chora. Isto tako, u filozofskom djelu sve izloženo mora biti izloženo na svom mjestu. Petrićevo djelo Peripatetičke rasprave promišljeno je ustrojeno brojem svojih dijelova i odnosima među njima. Nije slučajan broj svezaka, broj knjiga u svakome od njih, a ni broj folija u svakom pojedinom svesku. Sve to upućuje na ustroj djela prema Platonovoj crti. Svrha djela je procjena (censura) Aristotelove filozofije spram istinske filozofije, filozofije Platona i prethodnika, njihova učenja o prvim počelima, a prije svega Platonova nepisanog učenja o velikom i malom te jednom. Govor o tome kod istinskih filozofa ne može biti u svemu izravan, nego mora biti zagonetan u onom bitnom.
Financial distress prediction of listed companies – empirical evidence on the Vietnamese stock market
Authors: Quoc Thinh Tran , Anh Tuan Dang , Thanh Huy Nguyen , Ngoc Anh Thu Tran
Published: July 2020

Financial distress is a matter of concern in the recent period as Vietnam gradually enters global markets. This paper aims to examine the factors of Altman Z-score to detect the financial distress of Vietnamese listed companies. The authors use a sample of 30 delisted companies due to financial problems and 30 listed companies on the Vietnamese stock market from 2015 to 2018. They employ Independence Samples T-test to test the research model. It is found that there are significant differences in the factors of Altman Z-score between the group of listed companies and the group of delisted companies. Further analyses using subsamples of delisted companies show that the factors of Altman Z-score are also statistically different between companies with a low level of financial distress and those with a high level of financial distress. Based on the results, there are some suggestions to assist practitioners and the State Securities Commission in detecting, preventing, and strictly controlling financially distressed businesses. These results also enable users of financial statements to make more rational economic decisions accordingly.
The effects of positive spillover and work-family conflict on female academics’ psychological well-being
Authors: Farradinna Syarifah , Halim Fatimah Wati , Sulaiman Wan Shahrazad Wan
Published: July 2020

The issue of married women who work as academic lecturers is important to be studied. They are demanded to preserve their independence and increase intellectuality which then may decrease when they have children. This study aimed to examine whether positive spillover can reduce work-family or family-work conflict so as to improve psychological well-being. The subjects, who were screened with a random sampling technique, were 429 female lecturers working in universities in Riau.  Data were analyzed using descriptive analysis and multiple regression. The result showed that respondents have low psychological well-being and better family-work positive spillover. Multiple regression analysis showed that family-work positive spillover and family-work conflict simultaneously influenced psychological well-being. Therefore, it can be concluded that female lecturers prioritize completing home tasks over others, which reduces their psychological well-being at the workplace.
Transcriptional Dysregulation in Huntington’s Disease: The Role in Pathogenesis and Potency for Pharmacological Targeting
Authors: Pogoda Aleksandra , Chmielewska Natalia , Maciejak Piotr , Szyndler Janusz
Published: July 2020

:

Huntington’s disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by a
mutation in the gene that encodes a critical cell regulatory protein, huntingtin (Htt). The expansion
of cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) trinucleotide repeats causes improper folding of
functional proteins and is an initial trigger of pathological changes in the brain. Recent research
has indicated that the functional dysregulation of many transcription factors underlies
the neurodegenerative processes that accompany HD. These disturbances are caused not only
by the loss of wild-type Htt (WT Htt) function but also by the occurrence of abnormalities
that result from the action of mutant Htt (mHtt).

:

In this review, we aim to describe the role of transcription factors that are currently thought to
be strongly associated with HD pathogenesis, namely, RE1-silencing transcription factor, also
known as neuron-restrictive silencer factor (REST/NRSF), forkhead box proteins (FOXPs),
peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1a (PGC1α), heat shock transcription
factor 1 (HSF1), and nuclear factor κ light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-
κB). We also take into account the role of these factors in the phenotype of HD as well as potential
pharmacological interventions targeting the analyzed proteins. Furthermore, we considered
whether molecular manipulation resulting in changes in transcription factor function
may have clinical potency for treating HD.
How Targeted Therapy Influence Renal Surgery for Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Greco Francesco , Marchioni Michele , Esperto Francesco , Papalia Rocco , Schips Luigi , Scarpa Roberto M.
Published: July 2020

Between the end of 2005 and the beginning of 2006, several new target therapies have been
introduced for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma. In this review, we aimed to explore and summarize
the main findings of the use of systemic treatment and its effect on surgery in patients with renal
cell carcinoma. We identified three different settings: neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings as well as the
association of systemic therapy with surgery in the metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients. Neoadjuvant
target therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitor may facilitate the tumor resection and reduce the
overall tumor diameter and its complexity. However, most of the evidence is from small phase I or II
clinical trials and results are often conflicting without determining a relevant change in the main parameters
investigated, such as tumor complexity. In the adjuvant setting, results from pivotal trials investigating
the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors for patients with non-metastatic RCC treated with surgery
discourage this practice. Indeed, most of the evidence from single clinical trials and pooled results
from meta-analysis failed to find a survival advantage with the use of adjuvant systemic treatment.
To date, an improvement of clinical outcomes after systemic targeted therapies could be only
found in the setting of cytoreductive nephrectomy. However, the CARMENA and SURTIME trials
recently confirmed the evidence against a surgical treatment in patients with mRCC and poor prognosis.
In the near future, significant changes may be introduced by the use of immunotherapies.
Preparation of Ginkgolide Solid Dispersions with Low-Molecular-Weight Chitosan and Assessment of their Protective Effect on Isoproterenol- Induced Myocardial Injury
Authors: Zhang Li , Xia Zhi , Liu Bojia , Cui Li , Ding Wenbo , Liu Dan
Published: July 2020

Background:

Ginkgolides are widely used in cardio-protective therapy; however, poor
bioavailability currently limits their application.

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate whether solid dispersions prepared with Low-
Molecular-Weight Chitosan (LMWC) could improve the protective effect of ginkgolides on Myocardial
Injury (MI).

Methods:

Ginkgolide Solid Dispersions (GKSD) were prepared with LMWC. Their properties were
then characterized using differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy
and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. In vivo pharmacokinetic studies were performed in
rats, and the protective effect of GKSD on MI was investigated by western blotting and immunohistochemical
analyses.

Results:

Drug dissolution testing showed that GDSD were released at a significantly higher rate than
ginkgolides, dissolved by alternative methods, suggesting that LMWC facilitates the release of ginkgolides.
Differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier
transform infrared spectroscopy all showed that GKSD was amorphous. In-vivo testing revealed larger
AUC0-t, higher Cmax, and shorter Tmax for GKSD compared to that in original ginkgolides. Myocardial
injury was induced in rats with isoproterenol to test the protective effect of GKSD. GKSD alleviated MI
and reduced myocardial fibrosis, as observed by Hematoxylin and Eosin staining. Compared with the
crude drug group, the secretion of malonyl dialdehyde and nitric oxide and expression of NOX-2 and
NOX-4 were lower. The activities of the cardiac marker enzymes SOD, CAT, GPX, GPX-1, and GSH
were higher in GKSD-administered rats, indicating a beneficial effect of GKSD in eliminating free radicals
during myocardial injury. Additionally, western blotting and immunohistochemical analysis
showed that GKSD markedly reduced the expression of signaling proteins RHOA, ROCK1, ROCK2,
and RAC1.

Conclusion:

Solid dispersions prepared with low molecular weight chitosan improved the oral bioavailability
of ginkgolide and enhanced its protective effect on myocardial injury.
Clinical Profile of Mortality among Chronic Schizophrenic Patients: A Local Pilot Survey in Iran
Authors: Shafti Saeed Shoja , Memarie Alireza , Rezaie Masomeh , Rahimi Behjat
Published: July 2020

Background:

Many scholars believe that mental disorders may increase the risk of mortality
among psychiatric patients in comparison with ordinary people. Unfortunately, since there is
no systematic psychiatric case register system in Iran, a precise study of the rate of mortality of
psychiatric patients in Iran is not easy.

Objective:

The objective of the current study included estimation of the rate of mortality and clinical
profile of the died patients in a group of non-western aged schizophrenic patients.

Methods:

Senior section of Razi psychiatric hospital was selected as the specific field of investigation,
and all elderly schizophrenic patients (≥65 years old), who had been hospitalized there, were
nominated as the accessible sample and estimated with respect to the objectives of the present assessment.
For survey, all deaths in the said district, which had occurred throughout the last sixty
months (April of 2014-August 2019), had been listed by the supervisor of the mortality committee
of the hospital. The clinical diagnosis was based on ‘Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders’, 5th edition, criteria.

Results:

Among 840 chronic elderly schizophrenic patients, 69 deaths were registered by the mortality
committee of the hospital. As evident by the results, the annual rate of mortality among elderly
schizophrenic patients in the present assessment was around 0.015 (0.15 per 1,000 individuals per
year) and 0.017 (0.17 per 1,000 individuals per year) among male and female aged patients, respectively,
which was significantly lower than the native crude death rate. While the average age of the
expired female patients was significantly longer than male cases, the life expectancy of both male
and female patients was significantly shorter than the life expectancy of native people. Besides,
while among the present sample of old schizophrenics cardiac disease was the main leading cause of
death, other causes, like violence, suicide, road traffic accidents, falls, fires, drug use, tuberculosis,
drowning, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s disease were not liable at all.

Conclusion:

While the rate of mortality among aged schizophrenics was significantly lower than the
native crude death rate, the age of the expired female patients was significantly longer than the male
cases and the life expectancy of both male and female patients was significantly shorter than the life
expectancy of native people. Cardiac disorder was the leading cause of death among the present
sample of aged schizophrenics.
Creation and operation of long-range detection radar
Authors: Boev S. F. , Rakhmanov A. A. , Linkevicius A. P. , Yakubovskiy S. V. , Volodin P. V.
Published: July 2020

The purpose of the article is to substantiate the need for and brief description of certain modern approaches, methods and technologies for creating and operating long-range detection radars (LRD radars). A method for managing the creation of LRD radars based on risk models is proposed, which allows to find the optimal set of hardware, functional and software solutions. The possibility and experience of application of the General designer’s stand in the automated control system for the creation of LRD radars is shown. A variant of building a complex of automated information and logistics support for operation is proposed. A method and algorithm for calculating indicators of adaptive maintenance regulations have been developed. The experience of the application of new methods and technologies in the creation and operation of radars of the Vorkuta project is presented. Conclusions are drawn about the need to develop the results obtained in order to optimize resources and ensure a long operational state of the information tools of space-rocket defense systems.
Quasistasic modeling of edge fields in planar resonators
Authors: Denisenko D. V. , Radchenko V. V.
Published: July 2020

This paper discusses quasistatic waveguide model for planar resonator placed in multilayer dielectic media, which do not use effective parameters such as effective width of resonator and effective dielectric constant. It allows to use waveguide model in new approach. Edge field is modeled by inclusion of LC-lumped element circuit where values of inductances and capacitances we determined from the solving of electrostatic Laplace equation by the method of moment using the three-dimensional Green function for multilayer dielectric media. A computational experiment showed that the proposed model is effective in modeling planar resonators of complex shape and requires low computational resources.
A perirenal fibrosarcoma in a newborn calf
Authors: Rosiers K. , Smeets F. , Delooz L. , Saey V. , Vanrobaeys M.
Published: July 2020

Congenital tumors are rare in cattle. In this case report, a calf with a congenital perirenal fibrosarcoma is described. A newborn Belgian Blue calf that succumbed shortly after caesarian section was submitted for necropsy at the diagnostic lab of the ARSIA (Association Régionale de Santé et d’Identification Animales). At necropsy, a hemorrhagic firm mass was found surrounding the left kidney. Histopathological examination of the mass revealed a neoplastic cell population. Additional immunohistochemical stainings were performed to identify the tumor. The majority of neoplastic cells stained positive for vimentin but were negative for neurofilaments (NFs), desmin, CD3, CD20, Von Willebrand factor and cytokeratin, indicating a mesenchymal origin. The tumor was diagnosed as a fibrosarcoma. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first case of a congenital perirenal fibrosarcoma reported in a Belgian Blue calf in Belgium.
Development of a non-functional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor and a duodenal ulceration after cholecystoduodenostomy in a cat
Authors: Bianchini E. , Devriendt N. , De Cock H. , Mortier F. , Rick T. , Paepe D. , De Rooster H.
Published: July 2020

A six-year-old Ragdoll with previous extrahepatic biliary tract obstruction due to cholangiohepatitis, treated with cholecystoduodenostomy, was presented for acute vomiting, hyporexia, and weight loss. Abdominal ultrasound examination revealed randomly distributed hepatic nodules and dilated biliary ducts. Gastroduodenoscopy showed a patent cholecystoduodenostoma but disclosed a perforated duodenal ulceration. Conversion to celiotomy revealed extensive liver pathology, a discrete pancreatic nodule, and a duodenal ulcer opposite to the cholecystoduodenostoma. The cat was euthanized intra-operatively and necropsy was performed. The intrahepatic biliary tract of the right liver lobes was obstructed and severely dilated, whereas bile from the left lobes drained through the cholecystoduodenostoma. Histopathologic diagnoses were a primary pancreatic tumor, positive for glucagon on immunohistochemistry, with liver metastases, chronic purulent cholecystitis, and duodenal ulceration. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report in which the development of pancreatic neoplasia is described in a cat with a history of biliary tract disease.
‘A Task enough to make one frantic’: William Hayley’s Memorialising
Authors: Gee Lisa
Published: July 2020

This paper explores Hayley’s approach to, and writing about, memorialising, focusing on his manuscript collection of epitaphs, his letters to Anna Seward about her epitaph on Lady Miller, and his memoirs and biographies. How typical was he of late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth century memorialists? What does his writing about death—and his writing about writing about death—tell us about how his contemporaries were supposed to feel and express their feelings about the dead? How do his works illustrate what he and his contemporaries were expected to reveal or conceal about the dead, and about the living? How different, in that respect, were the works designed to be read by the public from those intended only for the deceased’s nearest and dearest? How did the author’s death change the expected readership?
Till Death Did Him Part: Thomas Hardy and his Funerals
Authors: Lock Charles
Published: July 2020

This essay considers Hardy’s two funerals—for his ashes at Poets’ Corner, for his heart at Stinsford—in the light of their consequences for life-writing: the absence of a single resting-place, and the narrative demands of synchronicity in telling of two funerals. This division of the body was the consequence of an extraordinary lack of precision in Hardy’s own will, the composition, wording and interpretation of which are examined here in some detail. Attention is also paid to the single grave at Stinsford that holds the remains of Hardy and both his wives in diverse modalities of the invisible.
Youthful Death and Melancholia: The Case of Rupert and Mary Brooke
Authors: Miller Alisa
Published: July 2020

This article considers how Mary Brooke, the mother of the poet-soldier Rupert Brooke, managed her mourning and melancholia in the wake of the death of her sons in the First World War. It briefly considers how Brooke’s death and poetry framed and, to some extent, predicted his popularity during and after the war. It goes on to explore how Mary Brooke constructed lasting literary and physical monuments to her son, which reframed his public life narrative and reflected her own culturally ingrained philosophical and aesthetic preferences. It examines how her experience reflects established and changing practices with respect to women and public death, and the elements that made her case exceptional. Finally, it places her story in the wider history of European melancholia as it relates to war, grief and creative expression.
Written Out of Life: The Death of Keith Vaughan and his Journal
Authors: Belsey Alex
Published: July 2020

When the British painter Keith Vaughan (1912–77) ingested a lethal cocktail of barbiturates, having made the decision to end his life after a long struggle with cancer, there was only one thing left to do: write one final entry in his journal, the lifelong literary account he had commenced in 1939 and maintained ever since. Vaughan’s journal is an extraordinary document, its 61 volumes spanning 38 years of impassioned ideas and personal development from his difficult wartime years as a conscientious objector through his post-war life as a successful but troubled artist. This paper focuses on the final volume of Vaughan’s journal, commenced in August 1975 and ending on the morning of 4 November 1977. It considers how Vaughan used journal-writing at a time of great suffering to reflect upon his life and his reasons for leaving it. By revealing the crucial role that Vaughan’s final volume played in justifying that his life had ceased to have forward momentum or meaning, this paper argues for the close relationship between the practice of journal-writing and questions of futurity, positing Vaughan as an exemplary author-subject who uses diary or journal forms to postulate a potential future and their relationship to it.
Funerary Artefacts, Cemetery Souvenirs and Final Resting Places
Authors: Bell Catherine
Published: July 2020

This photo essay discusses artworks that explore the commemorative dimensions of death through socially-engaged artistic processes, and the use of Oasis® floral foam—an ephemeral material that is integral to making flower arrangements that venerate the cycles of life and the celebratory milestones between birth and death. It examines the material’s uncanny corporeal associations when it is formed into vessels, and the ways in which the foam may be seen to transform meaning into materiality. It reflects on how the exhibition of cremated remains of Roman Londoners with associated funerary vessels, titled Roman Dead, at the Museum of London Docklands, informed a series of miniature foam gravestones adorned with custom-designed vessels created on site at East London’s Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, and a series of art workshops in hospice settings with palliative care staff, which were designed to promote meaningful reflection and healthy discussion about death and dying.
‘A Short Time Before Her Death’
Authors: Lindsey Kiera
Published: July 2020

This Creative Matters piece is inspired by five objects in the archives of the colonial artist, Adelaide Ironside (1831–1867), which relate to her dying and death. In addition to two letters, one of which was the last Adelaide wrote before she died; the other by her mother shortly afterwards, I have drawn inspiration from the trunk the Ironsides took with them to Europe and which returned to Australia after their deaths and remains in the possession of her descendants. I have also referred to an obituary that was published the Athenaeum and a lost artwork by Ironside entitled ‘The Pilgrim of Art’, which depicts mother and daughter. The central focus of this work is, however, the only confirmed photograph we have of Adelaide Ironside, which was taken, a note in her archive suggests, ‘a short time before her death’. In this creative piece, I experiment with how such archival objects can be used to speculate and evoke the final moments of a biographical subject’s life in historical narrative.
Life Writing and Death: Dialogues of the Dead
Authors: Brant Clare , Metcalf James , Wildgoose Jane
Published: July 2020

One thing in life we can be certain of: death. But how we talk about death—its inevitability, its causes and its course, its effects, or its places—is susceptible to changing cultural conditions. Reviewing a history of death that begins in prehistory, the distinguished historian of death Thomas Laqueur doubts it is possible to comprehend (in both senses) the topic: ‘Our awareness of death and the dead stands at the edge of culture. As such they may not have a history in the usual sense but only more and more iterations, endless and infinitely varied, that we shape into n engagement with the past and the present’.
Behavioural Contagion in Hong Kong Urban Space under Mass Psychological Distress.
Authors: Zordan Mirna , Tsou Jin Yeu
Published: July 2020

Psychological factors affecting human behaviour ‘a priori’ are largely underestimated in the contemporary urban debate. Mass psychological distress is not considered as a factor affecting urban dynamics within city-spaces. This study compares activities, preferences, and psychological dynamics related to behavioural contagion theory towards urban spaces in Hong Kong before and after COVID-19. Results showed significant transitions in preferences among shopping malls and urban green spaces for stationary uses, paired with substantial changes at the destination decision-making process. Other than behavioural tendencies, these results provide directions for discussing the integration of mass psychological distress into future urban scenarios design.    Keywords: behavioural contagion, mass psychological distress, urban space, Hong Kong.    eISSN: 2398-4287© 2020. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open-access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer-review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.    DOI:
Assessing Children’s Connectedness to Nature: A Mixed Method Study
Authors: Mustapa Nor Diyana , Maliki Nor Zarifah , Aziz Nor Fadzila , Hamzah Aswati
Published: July 2020

This study aims to assess children’s connectedness to nature (CTN) using a mixed-method study. This study used a sequential mixed-method approach that involved 760 children age 10-11 years old from 20 schools that include both urban and rural schools in Kedah and Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. Questionnaires were used in the quantitative part (n=760), followed by focus group discussion and drawing in the qualitative part (n=72). Findings showed that there are eight potential constructs can be used to measure and assess children’s CTN. The directions for future research are also discussed.    Keywords: children; nature; connectedness to nature; mixed method.   eISSN: 2398-4287© 2020. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open-access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.   DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v5i14.2282