bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Benefits of Treatment With Favipiravir in Hospitalized Patients for COVID-19: a Retrospective Observational Case-control Study
Authors: Uçan Anıl , Çerçi Pamir , Efe Serdar , Akgün Hakan , Özmen Ahmet , Yağmuroğlu Aysel , Bilgin Muzaffer , Avcı Deniz
Published: February 2021

Background: Although more than a year past since COVID-19 was defined, there is no specific treatment yet. Since COVID-19 management differs over time, it is hard to determine which therapy is more efficacious. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the regimen with Favipiravir (FPV) and determine if the timing of FPV addition offers any improvement. Methods: A retrospective observational case-controlled cohort study was performed between March and Sep-tember 2020, including adults with COVID-19 in a single-center in Turkey. We categorized patients into age-sex matched three groups, group 1 (n=48) and group 2 (n=48) included patients treated with the combination of FPV plus Hydroxychloroquine (HQ) early and late, respectively. Group 3 (n=48) consisted of patients on HQ monot-herapy. In Group 2, if the respiratory or clinic condition had not improved sufficiently, FPV was added on or after day 3. Results: We found that starting FPV early had an impact on PCR negativity and the progression of the disease. 'No progression' was defined as the absence of a new finding in the control radiological examination and the absence of accompanying clinical deterioration. Also, the decrease in C-reactive protein (CRP) was greater in Group 1 than Group 3 (p <0.001). However, we found that early initiation of FPV treatment did not have a posi-tive effect on the estimated survival time. Conclusions: According to this retrospective study results, we believe that for better clinical outcomes, FPV treatment should be started promptly to enhance antiviral effects and improve clinical outcomes.
Effects of Cottonseed Meal on Growth Performance, Liver Redox Status, and Serum Biochemical Parameters in Goslings
Authors: Yu Jun , Yang Haiming , Sun Qingyu , Xu Xuean , Yang Zhengfeng , Wang Zhiyue
Published: February 2021

Background: Cottonseed meal (CSM), a relatively rich source of protein and amino acids, is used as an inexpensive alternative to soybean meal (SBM) in poultry diets. Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of CSM on growth performance, liver redox status, and serum biochemical parameters in goslings. In experiment 1, 300 1-d-old male goslings were randomly divided into 5 groups (10 goslings/replicate, 6 replicates/group) and subjected to a 28-d experiment. In experiment 2, 240 28-d-old male goslings were randomly divided into 5 groups (8 goslings/replicate, 6 replicates/group) and subjected to a 35-d experiment. Five isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets were formulated to produce diets in which 0% (control), 25% (CSM25), 50% (CSM50), 75% (CSM75), and 100% (CSM100) of protein from SBM was replaced by protein from CSM.Results: In experiment 1, dietary CSM was associated with linear decreases in body weight, average daily feed intake and average daily gain and linear increases in the feed-to-gain ratio and mortality from 1 to 28 d of age (P < 0.05). Increased dietary CSM was associated with linear decreases in the hydroxyl radical scavenging ability and superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities in the liver (P < 0.05). Dietary CSM was associated with linear decreases in serum total protein, albumin, and globulin concentrations and linear increases in serum uric acid concentrations (P < 0.05). In experiment 2, the growth performance from 29 to 63 d, redox status indicators (except for malondialdehyde [MDA]) in the liver, and serum biochemical parameters at d 63 were not affected by dietary CSM concentrations (P > 0.05). The MDA content in the liver in the CSM100 group was lower than those in the other four groups (P < 0.05).Conclusion: CSM in gosling diets should not exceed 7.08% in the early growth stage (d 1 to 28), but it can be increased to 22.65% from d 29 to 63. A high concentration of CSM may reduce growth performance in 1- to 28-d-old goslings due to decreases in feed intake, liver metabolism and antioxidant capacity.
Intraspecific Convergence of Flower Size Correlates With Pollinator Size on Different Mountains: A Case Study of a Bumblebee-Pollinated Lamium (Lamiaceae) Flowers in Japan
Authors: Toji Tsubasa , Ishimoto Natsumi , Egawa Shin , Nakase Yuta , Hattori Mitsuru , Itino Takao
Published: February 2021

BackgroundGeographic differences in flower size sometimes reflect geographic differences in pollinator size. However, we know little about whether this flower size specialization to the regional pollinator size occurred independently at many places or occurred once and then spread across the distribution range of the flower species. ResultsWe investigated the relationship between the local corolla tube length of flowers and morphological traits of local pollinators in 12 populations of Lamium album var. barbatum on two different mountains in the Japan Alps. Then, using 10 microsatellite markers, we analyzed genetic differentiation among the 12 populations. The results showed that local corolla tube length was correlated with the average size of relevant morphological traits of the local pollinators: corolla tube length was greater in populations visited frequently by the largest flower visitors, Bombus consobrinus queens, than it was in other populations. We also found that the degree of genetic similarity between populations more closely reflected interpopulation geographic proximity than interpopulation similarity in corolla tube length.ConclusionsAlthough genetic similarity of populations was highly associated with geographic proximity, corolla tube length varied independently of geographic proximity and was associated with local pollinator size. These results suggest that in L. album var. barbatum, long corolla tube length evolved independently in populations on different mountains as a convergent adaptation to locally abundant large bumblebee species.
Marivivens Aquimaris Sp. Nov., Isolated from Seawater
Authors: Kim Jeong Ah , Lee Binna , Kang Ji Young , Song Jae Jun , Choi Jong Hyun
Published: February 2021

A Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, non-flagellated, rod-shaped bacterium, designated GSB7T, was isolated from seawater collected at the Yellow Sea coast of South Korea. Catalase and oxidase activities were positive. Growth occurred at pH 6.0–9.0 (optimum pH 7.0), 10–40 °C (optimum 30 °C) and with 0–8% NaCl (optimum 1–2%). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain GSB7T belonged to the genus Marivivens, showing the sequence similarities of 96.3, 96.1, and 96.0% with Marivivens niveibacter HSLHS2T, Limimaricola hongkongensis DSM17492T, Marivivens donghaensis AM-4T, respectively. The respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-10 and the major fatty acids were summed feature 8 (C18:1 ω7c and/or C18:1 ω6c), C18:1 ω7c 11-methyl, C16:0 and C10:0 3-OH. The polar lipids comprised phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, one unidentified aminolipid, and five unidentified lipids. The DNA G+C content calculated from the whole-genome sequence was 60.6 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genotypic characteristics presented in this study, strain GSB7T is suggested to represent a novel species of the genus Marivivens, for which the name Marivivens aquimaris sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is GSB7T (=KCTC 82026T=JCM 34042T).
Emerging Trends in Nanotechnology-based Delivery Approaches: Hexakis (m-PE) Macrocycles as a Novel Therapeutics
Authors: Pasban Samaneh , Raissi Heidar
Published: February 2021

Hexakis (m-phenylene ethynylene) (m-PE) macrocycles, with aromatic backbones and multiple hydrogen-bonding side chains, had a very high propensity to self-assemble via H-bond and π-π stacking interactions to form nanotubular structures with defined inner pores. Such stacking of rigid macrocycles is leading to novel applications that enable the researchers to explored mass transport in the sub-nanometer scale. Herein, we performed density functional theory (DFT) calculations to examine the drug delivery performance of the hexakis dimer as a novel carrier for doxorubicin (DOX) agent in the chloroform and water solvents. Based on the DFT results, it is found that the adsorption of DOX on the carrier surface is typically physisorption with the adsorption strength values of -115.14 and -83.37 kJ/mol in outside and inside complexes, respectively, and so that the essence of the drug remains intact. The negative values of the binding energies for all complexes indicate the stability of the drug molecule inside and outside the carrier's cavities. The energy decomposition analysis (EDA) has also been performed and shown that the dispersion interaction has an essential role in stabilizing the drug-hexakis dimer complexes. To further explore the electronic properties of dox, the partial density of states (PDOS and TDOS) are calculated. The atom in molecules (AIM) and Becke surface (BS) methods are also analyzed to provide an inside view of the nature and strength of the H-bonding interactions in complexes. The obtained results indicate that in all studied complexes, H-bond formation is the driving force in the stabilization of these structures, and also chloroform solvent is more favorable than the water solution. Overall, our findings offer insightful information on the efficient utilization of hexakis dimer as drug delivery systems to deliver anti-cancer drugs.
Assisted Reproduction in Spain, Outcome and Socioeconomic Determinants of Access
Authors: Alon Ido , Dominguez Jaime Pinilla
Published: February 2021

Research Question: We analyzed two questions. First, the effectiveness of public Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) in Spain compared with private ones, measured by the time since initiating ART treatment until achieving pregnancy, accounting for age and socioeconomic factors. Second, socioeconomic determinants of access to ART, referring primarily to financial means derived by employment, income, and wealth. Design: We applied statistical models on data extracted from the national Spanish Fertility Survey from 2018. The first topic was analyzed by competing risk survival analysis conducted on a sample of 667 women who initiate ART treatment since 2000. The second, by a Bivariate Probit model conducted on a sample of 672 women older than 41 years who required ART services. Results: The first analysis raised that throughout the treatment, patients treated exclusively in private clinics had on average a higher cumulative incidence of becoming pregnant compared with patients who approached public clinics. The second analysis raised that both higher household equivalent income and higher education increase the likelihood of accessing ART in a private clinic and decrease the tendency of accessing public clinics or failing to access any service. Moreover, being single decreases the likelihood of accessing public clinics or ART services in general. Conclusions: Long waiting periods could be the main reason for the lower incidence of getting pregnant in public healthcare, explaining why patients choose private over public care. We develop a broader discussion over the extent of Spanish public funding of ART, the unequal medical outcome, and potential options for optimization.
Immunoscore Combining CD8, FoxP3 and CD68 Expression and Distribution Predicts the Prognosis of Head and Neck Cancer Patients
Authors: Furgiuele Sonia , Descamps Géraldine , Lechien Jérôme R. , Dequanter Didier , Journe Fabrice , Saussez Sven
Published: February 2021

Purpose: The objective of this study was to assess immune cell infiltrates to develop an immunoscore for prognosis and to investigate its correlation with clinical data of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinomaMethods: CD8, FoxP3 and CD68 were evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 258 carcinoma samples and counted in stromal and intra-tumoral compartments. Optimal cut-offs were assessed to divide population regarding to survival while the prognostic value was established by using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression models for each immune marker alone and in combination.Results: We found with univariate analysis that infiltration of immune cells in both compartments was predictive for RFS and OS. Multivariate analysis revealed that CD8+ number influenced independently patient prognosis. Additionally, the combination of CD8, FoxP3 and CD68 in an immunoscore provided a significant association with OS (p=0.002, HR=9.87). Such immunoscore stayed significant (p=0.018, HR=11.17) in a multivariate analysis in comparison to tumour stage and histological grade which had lower prognostic values.Conclusion: Altogether, our analysis indicated that an immunoscore including CD8, FoxP3 and CD68 immunostaining was a strong, independent, and significant prognostic marker which could be introduced into the landscape of current tools to improve the clinical management of head and neck cancer patients.
PARP1 Bound to XRCC2 Promotes Tumor Progression in Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Xu Kaiwu , Yu Zhige , Lu Tailiang , Peng Wei , Gong Yongqiang , Chen Chaowu
Published: February 2021

Background: By complexing poly (ADP-ribose) (PAR) in reaction to breaked strand, PAR polymerase1 (PARP1) acts as the key enzyme participated in DNA repair. However, recent studies suggest that unrepaired DNA breaks results in persistent PARP1 activation, which leads to a progressively reduce in hexokinase1 (HK1) activity and cell death. So the molecular mechanism of PARP1 remains elusive. Methods: 212 colorectal cancer (CRC) patients who had the operation at our hospital were recruited. Used immunohistochemistry to evaluate PARP1 expression. Survival analysis was calculated based on PARP1 expression.Results: Compared with matching adjacent noncancerous tissue, in CRC tissue, PARP1 expression was remarkably higher, which was correlated with the degree of differentiation, TNM stage, depth of invasion, distant metastasis, and 5-year survival. Furthermore, after constructing CRC cell lines stably expressing low or high PARP1, we found that PARP1 overexpression promoted proliferation, and proved PARP1 interacted with XRCC2 in CRC cells by immunoprecipitation (IP) analysis.Conclusions: PARP1 was upregulated in CRC cells and promoted its proliferation of colorectal cancer cells. Furthermore, PARP1 expression status was significantly related to some clinicopathological features and 5-year survival.
OPG / RANKL / RANK Gene Methylation Among Alcohol-induced Femoral Head Necrosis in Northern Chinese Men
Authors: Wang Tiantian , Wang Fei , Liu Tingting , Sun Menghu , An Feimeng , Liu Chang , Tian Ye , Cao Yuju , Wang Jianzhong
Published: February 2021

Background and purpose: Alcohol-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a complex and heterogeneous disease. Genetic factors and epigenetic modifications are one of the pathogenesis of the disease. However, the influence of epigenetic factors on the disease has not been systematically studied. Our research aims to determine the methylation changes of alcohol-induced ONFH.Methods：An analytical cross-sectional study of a Chinese male population (50 lung cancer patients and 50 controls). The EpiTYPER of the Sequenom MassARRAY platform was used to detect the DNA methylation status of 132 Cytosine-phosphate-Guanine (CpG) sites in the OPG/RANKL/RANK gene promoter region.Results: In the whole study group，Chi-square test was used to analyze the methylation rate between the two groups, and six CpG sites were found to be different, among which OPG1_CpG_2, OPG3_CpG_4, RANK1_CpG_6, RANK3_CpG_10, RANKL2_CpG_21, and RANKL2_CpG_46 in the case group were higher than those in the control group, while OPG4_CpG_2 was lower than that in the control group. Our results showed that 146 CpG sites were measured, of which 32 were undetectable, and of the remaining 114 methylation sites, methylation levels were different in 23 CpG sites in patients with alcohol-induced ONFH compared to healthy controls. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated the methylation levels of OPG/RANKL/RANK could efficiently predict the existence of alcohol-induced ONFH.Conclusion: Our study of Chinese men suggests that several CpG sites in the OPG/RANKL/RANK gene in peripheral blood leukocytes of patients with alcohol-induced ONFH are in abnormal methylation state(hypermethylation tended to be more frequent).
The influence of entrepreneurial passion in the relationship between creativity and entrepreneurial intention
Authors: Murad Majid , Li Cai , Munir Muhammad , Ashraf Sheikh Farhan , Arora Surhbi
Published: February 2021

This article aims to identify the impact of creativity on entrepreneurial intention with the mediating role of entrepreneurial passion. This study applied the SEM-structural equation modeling technique to test the hypotheses on a sample of 390 university students from Pakistan. The findings of the study revealed that creativity positively and significantly influenced entrepreneurial intention. The results also indicated that entrepreneurial passion partially mediates in the relationship between creativity and entrepreneurial intention. The results of the study made an innovative contribution to Pakistan’s higher education sector, researchers, and policymakers to unlock the hidden potential of its youth and further contribute to designing the relevant practical implications.
Co-creating Physical Activity Interventions: a Mixed Methods Evaluation Approach
Authors: Popp Johanna , Grüne Eva , Carl Johannes , Semrau Jana , Pfeifer Klaus
Published: February 2021

Background: Co-creation strategies, such as cooperative planning, are promising as a means to ensure that physical activity interventions address real-world problems and are tailored to the target group. This has already been validated in diverse settings. However, questions targeting the transferability of cooperative planning to new settings and the key factors influencing its success or failure remain unclear. At the same time, co-creation processes are complex and evaluation can be challenging. Following calls for detailed reporting, this paper describes the programme activities, the underlying logic, and methodological design of a study that aims to evaluate the transfer of cooperative planning to new settings and to explore the associated key determinants.Methods: Cooperative planning was utilised as a strategy to target physical activity promotion in three real-world German settings in the nursing care and automotive mechatronics sectors. This involved researchers working alongside stakeholders from practice and policy to conjointly develop new interventions to promote physical activity in physically demanding jobs. A pragmatic approach is used to evaluate both the transferability and key determinants of this strategy. We developed a logic model for this co-creation process that describes the underlying assumptions and guides the evaluation. The evaluation outcomes of this study include planning meetings, newly developed interventions, and the determinants that are likely to affect cooperative planning. Quantitative and qualitative data will be collected using questionnaires, documents, and interviews. The quantitative data will be analysed descriptively, while the qualitative data will mainly be analysed using qualitative content analysis, split by settings. Subsequently, data triangulation will be used to integrate the quantitative and qualitative findings, which will then be compared across all three settings.Discussion: The study findings will contribute to a better understanding of co-creation strategies, their transferability and key determinants. The practical implications can include a checklist for assessing key determinants and a guideline for transferring cooperative planning into new settings to benefit more people. Ultimately, this study will help to advance co-creation strategies and may be relevant for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers targeting physical activity promotion in various contexts.Trial registration: Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/r6xnt/ (retrospectively registered)
Bronchial Carcinoid Tumor in the Era of Covid-19 Pandemic: A Case Report
Authors: Mindaye Esubalew T. , Kassahun Mulugeta , Tigiye Gulilat
Published: February 2021

Introduction: Bronchial carcinoid tumors are rare, slow growing, malignant neuroendocrine tumors which arise from Enterochromaffin (Kulchitsky) cells. Early diagnosis is extremely important as the main stay of treatment is surgical excision. Presentation of case: We present a rare case of bronchial typical carcinoid tumor in a 27-year-old male who presented with a complaint of intermittent dry cough of 2 weeks’ duration associated with shortness of breath, low grade intermittent fever and loss of appetite. He was initially misdiagnosed as covid-19 pneumonia and was admitted to covid-19 treatment center. Right lung bi-lobectomy with regional lymph node resection was done and he was discharged home in good condition.Discussion: Majority of typical carcinoids are located in the central airways leading to bronchial obstruction with recurrent pneumonia, chest pain, wheezing and hemoptysis. Due to such nonspecific presentation most patients are misdiagnosed or diagnosed late. In the era of covid-19 pandemic, in addition to the wide spread anxiety on the health care workers access to diagnostic work up of patients with rare diseases like bronchial carcinoids is very challenging especially in resource limited areas as invasive diagnostic procedures like bronchoscopy are usually avoided in covid-19 suspected patients during the pandemic. Although hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes are the most common metastatic sites for typical carcinoids most lymphadenopathies are caused by a reactive inflammatory reaction.Conclusion: Bronchial carcinoids are rare, malignant neuroendocrine tumors with complete surgical resection being the only curative management. Although the world is over burdened by Covid-19 pandemic crisis, other lung pathologies are also still present in communities. In such challenging circumstance diagnosing rare pulmonary diseases like bronchial carcinoids need high index of suspicion and meticulous diagnostic work up. The outcome of typical carcinoids with lymph node metastasis is excellent with complete resection but close follow up is mandatory when dealing with larger tumors.
Sexually Dimorphic Expression and Special Regulatory Sequence of Dnali1 in the Olive Flounder Paralichthys Olivaceus
Authors: Wang Ling , Tan Xungang , Zou Congcong , Wang Lijuan , Wu Zhihao , Zou Yuxia , Song Zongcheng , You Feng
Published: February 2021

Dynein axonemal light intermediate chain 1 (dnali1) is an important part of axonemal dyneins and plays an important role in the growth and development of animals. However, there is little information about dnali1 in fish. Herein, we cloned dnali1 gene from the genome of olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus), a commercially important maricultured fish in China, Japan, and Korea, and analyzed its expression patterns in different gender fish. The DNA sequence of the entire gene contained a 771 bp open reading frame (ORF), two different sizes of 5' untranslated region (5'UTR), and a 1499 bp 3' untranslated region (3'UTR). Two duplicated 922 nt fragments were found in dnali1 mRNA. The first fragment contained the downstream coding region and the front portion of 3'UTR, and the second fragment was entirely located in 3’UTR. Multiple alignments indicated that the flounder Dnali1 protein contained the putative conserved domain. Its expression showed sexually dimorphic with predominant expression in the flounder testis, and lower expression in other tissues. The gene with the larger 5’UTR was specifically expressed in the testis. The highest expression level in the testis was detected at stages Ⅳ and Ⅴ. Transient expression analysis showed that the 922 bp repeated sequence 3’UTR of dnali1 down-regulated the expression of GFP at the early stage in zebrafish. The results implied that dnali1 might play an important role in flounder testis, especially in the period of spermatogenesis, and the 5’UTR and the repetitive sequences in 3’UTR might contain some special regulatory elements for the cilia.
Study on Mechanical Mechanism and Stability of Surrounding Rock in Fault Structure Roadway
Authors: lu yuming , Wei Wang , Zhiyu1 Tang
Published: February 2021

In order to study the deformation and failure mechanism of the fault passage, this paper makes a series of research on the fault passage through theoretical analysis, field investigation and numerical simulation. Firstly, the mechanical characteristics of the fault structure and the deformation and failure characteristics of the surrounding rock passing through the fault are summarized. Then, the numerical analysis is carried out before and after the tunnel passing through the fault. The results show that the original support scheme has large deformation and failure in the surrounding rock of the fault section, and the deterioration and expansion of the plastic zone leads to the failure of the support. Finally, the comprehensive support scheme and principle of "bolt + anchor cable + metal mesh + grouting" is put forward, and the support for the broken tunnel passing through the fault is strengthened. The calculation results show that the support scheme can keep the tunnel passing through the fault in a stable deformation range, which is conducive to the long-term stability of the surrounding rock.
Kimura’s Disease With Recurrent Bilateral Lacrimal Gland Involvement in a Male Japanese Child Successfully Treated With Cyclosporine A
Authors: Sugimoto Keisuke , Enya Takuji , Morimoto Yuichi , Oshima Rina , Miyazaki Kohei , Okada Mitsuru
Published: February 2021

BackgroundKimura’s disease (KD) is a rare chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology. Clinically, KD is characterized by nodular subcutaneous masses, typically localized to the neck and head. Involvement of the lacrimal glands and limbs is uncommon and seldom reported. Case presentationWe report a case of a 4-year-old Japanese boy presenting with bilateral upper eyelid swelling with nodular subcutaneous lesions and peripheral eosinophilia. Based on clinical, histopathological, and laboratory findings, the patient was diagnosed with KD. An itchy subcutaneous mass on the left arm developed at the age of 14 years. Treatment with steroids was effective, but the masses relapsed within a few months as the steroids were tapered after the patient developed side effects. Treatment with cyclosporine A was initiated, which led to the improvement of clinical features and serial levels of cytokines. ConclusionsWe report a rare case of KD with a peculiar clinical presentation. The patient responded well to treatment with CsA.
Long-term Results of Topical 0.02% Tacrolimus Ointment for Refractory Ocular Surface Inflammation in Pediatric Patients
Authors: Koh Kyungmin , Jun Ikhyun , Kim Tae-im , Kim Eung Kweon , Seo Kyoung Yul
Published: February 2021

Background: To investigate the efficacy and safety of long-term treatment with topical 0.02 % tacrolimus ointment for ocular inflammation in pediatric patients. No studies have been reported on the outcome of long-term (≥12 months) use of topical tacrolimus in pediatric patients for treatment of ocular surface diseases. Methods: A total of 144 eyes of 72 pediatric patients who were prescribed topical 0.02% tacrolimus ointment between January of 2010 and March of 2018 for anterior segment inflammatory disorders refractory to conventional steroid therapy were included. Patients completed questionnaires and underwent slit-lamp examinations for evaluation of symptoms and signs at baseline. Patients were followed 1, 2, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after initiation of tacrolimus treatment. After 12 months, patients were followed every 3 months for monitoring of possible adverse events and clinical outcomes. Changes in ocular surface parameters during slit-lamp examination, clinical symptoms and concurrent steroid use were graded with a scoring system. The presence of side effects was also verified.Results: Among 72 patients (56 % males, age 10.79 ± 3.96 years), 25 patients (48% males, age 11.42 ± 3.91 years) fully recovered, resulting in discontinuance of the ointment treatment before 12 months. Six patients experienced intolerable burning sensation, which required treatment cessation. Cessation days of those who quit were 1,5,14,20,26, and 35 days. Seven patients were lost during follow-up. Thirty-four patients (56% males, age 11.20 ± 4.21 years) were treated with tacrolimus ointment for over 12 months (average 23.12 ± 19.07 months). During the follow-up period, all patients showed improved clinical signs and symptoms, and no adverse reaction was noted. Conclusions: Long-term maintenance of topical tacrolimus 0.02% ointment is safe and effective in improving refractory ocular surface inflammatory diseases in pediatric patients.
Clinical characteristics and surgical treatments of primary hepatic angiosarcoma
Authors: Jiang Lei , Xie Lijun , Li Ge , Xie Hang , Fang Zhao , Cai Xinran , Chen Yanling
Published: February 2021

Purpose
Primary hepatic angiosarcoma is a very rare and highly malignant tumor with poor prognosis. It is difficult to diagnose because of the lack of typical clinical features, and the treatment protocols for PHA are also not clear. Therefore, this study wants to find out the clinical characteristics and surgical treatments of primary hepatic angiosarcoma.
Methods
Among 8990 patients diagnosed with primary malignant tumor of the liver from January 2000 to December 2019 in our hospital, only four patients were diagnosed with primary hepatic angiosarcoma. The demographics, clinical manifestation, past history, serology test results, MRI features, pathology, treatment modality and prognosis of four patients were collected and analyzed.
Results
Three of four patients had no clinical symptoms, while one patient's symptom was abdominal pain. The levels of tumor markers of all four patients were within the normal reference range and serological tests were negative for hepatitis B and C virus. The MRI imaging findings of all four patients were mixed mass with highly disordered vascular characteristics. All four patients were misdiagnosed preoperatively. One patient who underwent hepatic lobectomy was still alive for about 18 months after surgery. One patient who underwent hepatic lobectomy has survived for only 6 months due to severe pneumonia. The other two patients who received transarterial chemoembolization survived 16 months and 11 months respectively.
Conclusion
The clinical symptoms of primary hepatic angiosarcoma are not typical, and primary hepatic angiosarcoma is easily misdiagnosed. The typical imaging manifestations are structural disorder and heterogeneous tumor. Hepatic lobectomy and transarterial chemoembolization may be important surgical treatments to improve the prognosis of patients.
Impacts of the aquaculture on the distribution of dissolved organic matter in the coastal Jeju Island, Korea, revealed by absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy
Authors: Kim Jeonghyun , Kim Yeseul , Park Sung Eun , Kim Tae-Hoon , Kim Bong-Guk , Kang Dong-Jin , Rho TaeKeun
Published: February 2021

To demonstrate behavior of dissolved organic matter (DOM) derived from coastal aquaculture, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM), and fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) were measured around the coastal Jeju Island, Korea. As reported by previous studies, pristine groundwater with extremely depleted DOC (< 30 µM) has been used as culturing water in the coastal aquafarms. However, the concentration of DOC within 1.5 km from the discharge outlet of the aquafarms was approximately two times higher than that in the groundwater. In addition, the concentration of TDN exponentially increased close to the discharge outlet. These distribution patterns indicate the aquafarm is a significant DOM source. Herein, principal component analysis including the absorption coefficient (a350), spectral slope coefficient (S250 − 600), specific UV absorbance (SUVA254), and five fluorescent components were applied to categorize DOM origins. We found two distinct groups: aquaculture activity for TDN with high molecular weights and natural biological activity for DOC enrichment. Our study has also critical implications for the efficient monitoring of anthropogenic organic pollutant from aquafarms using unique optical signals.
SARS-CoV-2 RBD in vitro evolution parrots and predicts contagious mutation spread
Authors: Schreiber Gideon , Zahradník Jiri , Marciano Shir , Shemesh Maya , Zoler Eyal , Chiaravalli Jeanne , Meyer Bjoern , Rudich Yinon , Dym Orly , Elad Nadav
Published: February 2021

SARS-CoV-2 is continually evolving, with more contagious mutations spreading rapidly. Using in vitro evolution to affinity maturate the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein towards ACE2 resulted in the more contagious mutations, S477N, E484K, and N501Y, to be among the first selected, explaining the convergent evolution of the “European” (20E-EU1), “British” (501.V1),”South African” (501.V2), and Brazilian variants (501.V3). Plotting the binding affinity to ACE2 of all RBD mutations against their incidence in the population shows a strong correlation between the two. Further in vitro evolution enhancing binding by 600-fold provides guidelines towards potentially new evolving mutations with even higher infectivity. For example, Q498R epistatic to N501Y. Nevertheless, the high-affinity RBD is also an efficient drug, inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 infection. The 2.9Å Cryo-EM structure of the high-affinity complex, including all rapidly spreading mutations, provides a structural basis for future drug and vaccine development and for in silico evaluation of known antibodies.
An Unusual Case of Chest Wall Glomus Tumor Presenting With Axillary Pain: a Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Zanjani Leila Oryadi , Nia Bahman Shafiee , Vosoughi Farzad , Mirzaian Elham , Aghaghazvini Leila , Aidin Arabzadeh
Published: February 2021

Background: Glomus tumor is an uncommon soft tissue tumor. However, as the tumor causes significant disability, its early diagnosis is essential. It involves subungual areas of fingers and toes in most cases, and its extra-digital involvement is rarely seen. To the best of the authors' knowledge, only a few chest wall involvement cases have been reported in the literature. Case presentation: In this paper, we describe a 63-year-old patient with a chest wall glomus tumor presented with axillary paroxysmal pain and limitation in his shoulder range of motion that had been missed for nearly 15 years. His symptoms were relieved immediately following surgical excision.Conclusion: Glomus tumors may involve any part of the human body. It is curable with surgical excision in most cases. Therefore, a correct early diagnosis has paramount importance. A high index of suspicion is needed for early diagnosis, especially when the tumor involves uncommon anatomic areas.
Clinical Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 by Re-infection Vs. Reactivation: A Case Series From Iran
Authors: Salehi-Vaziri Mostafa , Jalali Tahmineh , Farahmand Behrokh , Fotouhi Fatemeh , Banifazl Mohammad , Pouriayevali Mohammad Hassan , Larijani Mona Sadat , Afzali Neda , Ramezani Amitis
Published: February 2021

Purpose: COVID-19 immunity in infected individuals may not be persistent. The specific response wanes in patients who have recovered from this infection. Nevertheless, it has not been fully understood whether true re-infection occurs or the viral reactivation.Methods: In this study, we investigated three COVID-19 patients who represented the symptoms after recovery. Chest CT scan was applied to assess the patients along with the viral samples from oropharyngeal/nasopharyngeal which were subjected to RT-PCR. The viral genome sequencing was applied where possible to distinguish possible re-infection or latent reactivation. Moreover, COVID-19 specific antibodies available data were evaluated in each incidence.Results: The second episode of SARS-CoV-2 infection was different among the investigated subjects who experienced an interval between positive PCR tests ranged between 63 and 156 days. The disease presentation was less or more severe in the second infection. All cases were found IgG positive in the re-infection phase. The sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 sample obtained from two cases revealed a D614G mutation of S gene from the second isolated sample strengthens the case for the re-infection. Conclusions: The possibility of re-infection and reactivation could have significant effect on clinical implications and also vaccination. Our data supports clear warning of SARS-CoV-2 continuous circulation potency among the populations in spite of herd immunity either with natural infection or vaccination. This issue is critical in term of the patients, clinical investigate and viral transmission.
The Proportion of Rural Applicants to the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine is Close to Parity with the Proportion of College-Educated Young Adults in Rural NC
Authors: Spero Julie C. , Steiner Beat , Byerley Julie S. , Dallaghan Gary L. Beck , Rahangdale Lisa , Fraher Erin P.
Published: February 2021

Background

Over the past 40 years, North Carolina’s physician supply grew faster than the total population, but the maldistribution of physicians between urban and rural areas increased. In rural counties, access-to-care and health disparities remain concerning.
Method

Descriptive analyses were conducted to compare the number and percentage of rural and urban students from North Carolina (NC) who applied, interviewed, and were accepted to the University of North Carolina’s School of Medicine. The likely pool of rural applicants was based on the number of college-educated 18-34-year-olds by county.
Results

Roughly 10.9% of NC’s population of college-educated 18-34-year-olds live in rural counties. Between 2017–2019, 9.3% (n = 225) of UNC SOM applicants were from a rural county.
Conclusion

An increase of just 14 additional rural applicants annually would bring the proportion of rural UNC SOM applicants in alignment with the potential applicant pool in rural NC counties. Addressing NC’s rural physician workforce needs will require multiple strategies that affect different parts of the medical education and health care systems, including boosting college completion rates in rural areas.
Methane Mitigation is Associated with Reduced Abundance of Methanogenic and Methanotrophic Communities in Paddy Soils Continuously Sub-irrigated with Treated Wastewater
Authors: Phung Luc Duc , Miyazawa Masaaki , Pham Dung Viet , Nishiyama Masateru , Masuda Shuhei , Takakai Fumiaki , Watanabe Toru
Published: February 2021

Herein, we examined emissions of CH4 and the community structures of methanogenic archaea and methanotrophic bacteria in paddy soils subjected to a novel irrigation system, namely continuous sub-irrigation with treated wastewater (TWW). This system has recently been developed by our group to effectively reuse TWW for the cultivation of protein-rich rice. The results showed that despite not using mineral fertilisers, the wastewater reuse system produced a high rice yield comparable to that of a conventional cultivation practice and reduced CH4 emissions from paddy fields by 80%. During the reproductive stage of rice plants, when high levels of CH4 emissions from both treatments were observed, continuous sub-irrigation with TWW not only considerably inhibited the growth of methanogens in the lower soil layer, but also vastly reduced the abundance of methanotrophs in the upper soil layer, which was strongly consistent with the effective mitigation of CH4. The compositions of the examined microbial communities were not particularly affected by the studied cultivation practices. Overall, this study demonstrated that continuous sub-irrigation with TWW was an effective method to produce high rice yield and simultaneously reduce CH4 emissions from paddy fields, and it also highlighted the potential underlying microbial mechanisms of the greenhouse gas mitigation.
Downregulation and the Diagnostic Value of RMST in Patients with Papillary Thyroid Cancer
Authors: Xiong Zhiwei , Peng Yuyu , Zhou Qibing , Xiao Huiqiong , Xu Sheng , hu jiaqing , Xiao Jun
Published: February 2021

Background: Previous studiess have demonstrated that rhabdomyosarcoma 2-associated transcript (RMST) is an indispensable factor in promoting neuronal differentiation. Gene Expression Omnibus datasets showed that long noncoding RNA RMST was downregulated in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). Further experiments were conducted to detect the expression and diagnostic value of RMST in PTC. Materials and methods: Quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction was applied to uncover the expression of RMST in PTC tissues. Chi-square (χ2) analysis was employed to evaluate the association between RMST and clinical features. The area under the curve (AUC) and receiver-operating characteristic curves were used to evaluate the feasibility of using RMST to predict PTC, lymph node metastases and the tumor–node–metastasis (TNM) stage. Result: RMST expression was significantly in to PTC tissues than in adjacent noncancerous thyroid tissues (P<0.001). We also found that low tissue RMST expression was related to the TNM stage (P=0.046), and lymph node metastasis (P=0.002). The AUC value of PTC vs. adjacent noncancerous tissues was 0.7243 [95% confidence interval (CI)=0.6411-0.8076, P<0.0001] and AUC values of patients with lymph node metastasis vs. patients with out lymph node metastasis and stage I/IIPTC vs. stage III/IV PTC were 0.7148 (95%CI =6018-0.8351, P=0.0012) and , 0.7024 (95%CI= 0.5817-0.8231, P=0.0066), respectively. Conclusion: In conclusion, RMST is associated with PTC progression and may serve as a diagnostic biomarker for predicting PTC, lymph node metastasis, and TNM stage.
The control of composition, texture and weathering on the physical and strength properties of selected intrusive igneous rocks from North Pakistan
Authors: Yasir Muhammad , Ahmed Waqas , Sajid Muhammad
Published: February 2021

This work characterizes intrusive igneous rocks from north Pakistan in terms of their mineralogy, texture and weathering grades and their effect on the physical and strength properties. The mafic and intermediate rocks showed a low cumulative percentage of quartz, feldspar and plagioclase with high specific gravity, strength (i.e. UCS and R-value) and UPV values compared to the felsic rocks. Likewise, samples with anhedral grain shape, irregular boundaries, fine to medium grain size (UD, ANS, CGN) showed higher strength values, that is, 121, 118 and 91 MPa compressive strength and 11, 9, and 12 MPa tensile strengths, respectively. The weathering grades assigned to the investigated samples, such as fresh (WG-I), slightly weathered (WG-II) and highly weathered (WG-III) corresponded well with the physical and strength properties, that is, as the grade increased from WG-I to WG-III, the porosity and water absorption increased (0.28% and 0.72% respectively), whereas the specific gravity, compressive strength and tensile strength decreased (2.04, 20 MPa and 2.5 MPa, respectively, for CGA). The presence of quartz affects rock strength; however, no significant correlation was observed for strength and maximum and mean grain sizes of different minerals.
Protection of Laryngeal Nerve Palsy using Amniotic Membrane Shield During Thyroid Surgery
Authors: Carling Tobias -
Published: February 2021

Recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy, subjective voice complaints, and iatrogenic hypoparathyroidism are the main risk factors of thyroid surgery (1; 2). The rate of unintentional transient RLN injury after total thyroidectomy has been reported in up to 30% of patients, and permanent paralysis ranges between 1-5.7% (3; 4). In patients undergoing concomitant central and/or lateral node dissection, the reported incidence is even greater (5). Patients with a RLN injury typically experience dysphonia for 10-12 weeks, with approximately 8-10% having a permanent vocal dysfunction. Even in the absence of overt nerve paralysis, voice alterations can be seen in 46-84 % of post-thyroidectomy patients (6; 7). Attempts to decrease the risk of nerve injury have been limited to accurate visualization and meticulous technique, performance of less extensive surgery and/or the use of nerve monitoring devices despite that their usage has never been shown to decrease RLN injury rates (8-10).
­­Evolution and genomic organization of the sHSP gene cluster in Arthropods
Authors: Leask Megan , Lovegrove Mackenzie , Walker Abigail , Duncan Elizabeth , Dearden Peter
Published: February 2021

Background
Conserved syntenic gene complexes are rare in Arthropods and likely only retained due to functional constraint. Numerous sHSPs have been identified in the genomes of insects, some of which are located clustered in close proximity. Previous phylogenetic analyses of these clustered sHSP have been limited to a small number of holometabolous insect species and have not determined the pattern of evolution of the clustered sHSP genes (sHSP-C) in insect or Arthropod lineages.
Results
Using eight genomes from representative insect orders and three non-insect arthropod genomes we have identified that a syntenic cluster of sHSPs (sHSP-C) is a hallmark of most Arthropod genomes. Using 11 genomes from Hymenopteran species our phylogenetic analyses have refined the evolution of the sHSP-C in Hymenoptera and found that the sHSP-C is order-specific with evidence of birth-and-death evolution in the hymenopteran lineage. Finally we have shown that the honeybee sHSP-C is co-ordinately expressed and is marked by genomic features, including H3K27me3 histone marks consistent with coordinate regulation, during honeybee ovary activation.
Conclusions
The syntenic sHSP-C is present in most insect genomes, and its conserved coordinate expression and regulation implies that it is an integral genomic component of environmental response in arthropods.
Be-Ozr: An Efficient Available Bandwidth Estimation In Ieee802.11E Network
Authors: Aina Folayo , Yousef Sufian , Osanaiye Opeyemi
Published: February 2021

In wireless network, the support for Quality of Service (QoS) depends on the ability of a network to estimate the available bandwidth of a link effectively and efficiently. Due to the shared nature of the wireless medium, there has been challenges in achieving an accurate measurement of the available bandwidth. This paper therefore proposes an efficient available bandwidth estimation approach that improves the accuracy of previously proposed approach for accurate measurement. The approach used in this paper is to passively estimate the available bandwidth, where the maximum range of the channel idle time measurement used in the calculation is re-defined to address the outer zone range threshold (OZR). This limits the under-estimation and over-estimation of bandwidth measurement. The proposed approach used limits the network overhead and achieves accuracy and efficiency. Results obtained from the simulation shows how our proposed approach out-performs the state-of the-art approach in terms of throughput and delay, using the IEEE802.11e. We have been able to achieve 8% improvement in accuracy and efficiency when compared with the best of the state-of-the-art available bandwidth estimation technique.