bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation of the prevalence of Brucella antibodies and field strains in immunized dairy herds in Lingwu, Ningxia
Authors: Shi Yong , Cui Yimeng , Wudong Gaowa , Li Shengnan , Yuan Ye , Zhao Danyu , Yin Shurong , Diao Ziyang , Li Bin , Zhou Dong , Li Xuejun , Wang Zhanlin , Zhang Fengxia , Xie Min , Zhao Zehui , Wang Aihua , Jin yaping
Published: January 2024

Background Brucella 19 strain vaccines are widely used to prevent brucellosis in cattle. The vaccine antibodies are generally acknowledged to persist for less than 12 months after immunization. The real rate of persistent antibodies may be a difference because of different feeding management and immunization schedules. The effect of vaccine immunization and the correlation between the persistence of antibodies induced by immunization and field strain infection remains unclear in the northwest of China.
Results We revealed that Brucella A19 vaccine antibodies persist in dairy herds for more than 12 months. We established a PCR method for identifying both Brucella A19 and non-A19 strains, resulting in the detection of 10 field strains of Brucella abortus from vaginal swab samples collected from 1,537 dairy cows. We analyzed the rates of seropositivity and herd seropositive rates in dairy cattle in Lingwu City from 2021 to 2023. By employing a mathematical expectation strategy, we completed testing of 1537 samples after conducting only 306 tests of pools of six samples, thereby reducing the workload by 80.1%.
Conclusion We propose that the detection of antibodies in cattle vaccinated with the A19 vaccine more than 12 months previously should not be solely relied upon as a diagnostic basis for brucellosis, and it is essential to combine this approach with PCR analysis to specifically identify field strains. Timely detection of Brucellain aborting livestock was identified as an efficient strategy for diagnosis. This research provides valuable data for the prevention and control of brucellosis in immunized cattle herds, as well as serving as a reference method for investigating and diagnosing brucellosis in livestock vaccinated in other regions.
Understanding the Public Stigma of Mental Illness: A Mixed-Methods, Multi-Level, Exploratory Triangulation Study.
Authors: Walsh Daniel Alexander Benjamin , Foster Juliet
Published: January 2024

Background: This study examines the role of themata in understanding mental health-related stigma. It is motivated by the need for alternative theoretical-methodological approaches beyond the dominant frameworks in education and contact-based anti-stigma public health efforts, which have shown mixed and unintended consequences. Specifically, it addresses the need for a more nuanced framework in stigma research, one that is sensitive to the dialogues through which people relate themselves to mental health and stigma in context.
Methods: The research employs an exploratory mixed-methods approach, including the analysis of 529 news reports, 20 focus group discussions, and 19 one-to-one interviews, all concerning representations of shared living arrangements with someone perceived to have experiences of mental illness. Thematic analysis and natural language processing are used within a convergent triangulation design to analyze the data.
Results: We found that mental health and illness were communicated through an overarching Self/Other thema and five subordinate themata: normal/abnormal, harm/non-harm, bounded/non-bounded, and moral/immoral. Despite familiarity with psychological distress and 'modern' explanations of mental illness, concerns about social identity motivated representations of mental illness as a predominantly permanent, negative form of personhood marked by abnormality, harm, distance, and immorality. Additionally, concerns about personal vulnerability, including historically rooted fears of contagion, motivated distancing representations of mental illness, rather than neutral portrayals.
Conclusions: Themata have under-developed theoretical and methodological potential for addressing mental health-related stigma, particularly in their ability to describe the dynamic ways in which culture motivates people to both resist and reproduce stigma, partly through ambivalences, absences, tensions, and ambiguities in representation. A critical discussion is provided on how themata may support ecological strategies in mental health campaigns over generic models, emphasizing the need to understand group knowledge and contact dynamics to mitigate adverse effects.
Investigation of dye removal from water solutions using raw clay and expanded clay ball: Kinetic, isotherm, and thermodynamic
Authors: Tulun Şevket
Published: January 2024

This study investigated the removal of methylene blue (MB) dye from aqueous solutions using raw clay (RC) and expanded clay ball (ECB) with different particle sizes ( = < 200 mesh, and > 200 mesh). A series of studies such as operating time (1 to 90 min), RC and ECB dose (0.1 to 4g/L), pH (2 to 10), mixing speed (60 to 180 rpm) and temperature (20 to 45°C) were additionally conducted through the use of a batch system in order to optimize the process. Additionally, this study investigated the concepts of adsorption kinetics, isotherms, and thermodynamics of MB. RC and ECB were characterized through distinct physical – chemical methods including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive x ray spectrometer (EDAX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The structural changes in the surface morphology of ECB caused it to exhibit lower adsorption capacity than RC. The removal occurred rapidly in the first few minutes. RC (20 min.) reached equilibrium faster than ECB (30 min.). Under optimal conditions, removal efficiencies of > 200 mesh RC, =<200 mesh RC, > 200 mesh ECB, =<200 mesh ECB were obtained as 97.5%, 95.76%, 39.26%, 91.81%, respectively. The results show that the pseudo-second order (PSO), with R2 ranging from 0.69 to 1, and the Langmuir isotherm model, with a good fit for the MB removal for all combinations, are in agreement with the experimental data According to the study results, the process was carried out endothermic and physical.
Grayscale mapping of infrared images based on end-to-end deep neural networks
Authors: Cheng Lin , Hong Wenqing , Wang Xiaodong , Zhang Chen
Published: January 2024

The grayscale mapping of infrared images is an important research direction in the field of infrared imaging. A fast and scene-adaptive grayscale mapping method is crucial for visualizing high dynamic range original infrared images in various standard dynamic range output devices, such as printers and standard monitors. At present, mainstream grayscale mapping methods can only handle high dynamic range images in limited scenes and require extensive parameter adjustments to generate high-quality mapping results. In this paper, we propose a fast, parameter-free, and scene-adaptive grayscale mapping method to address this issue, which can achieve high subjective quality mapping results. Our model not only adapts to various categories of scenes, but also resolves the issues of insufficient contrast and significant loss of details in the grayscale mapping of high dynamic range infrared images. We explored the different impacts of the loss functions and normalization layers in the model on the mapping effect, and ultimately adopted L1 loss, perceptual loss, and batch normalization to accomplish our task. To ensure the production of high-quality mapping results, we used the objective metric of high dynamic range image quality assessment, specifically the tone mapping image quality index, to identify target images for training our model. We evaluated our results from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives, showcasing the high-quality output images generated by our model in a wide range of real-world scenarios. This substantiates the superiority of our approach.
Effect of Humic Acid Applied With Farmyard Manure on Nutrients Use Efficiency and Wheat Yield
Authors: Bibi Sobia , Mussarat Maria , Muhammad Dost , - Shafi Ullah , Murad Zaryab
Published: January 2024

The use of chemical fertilizers for getting higher yield of crop imposes negative effects on soil properties. The application of organic amendments in combination with synthetic fertilizer to improve the growth of crop hence reduce its effect on soil has become imperative. A field experiment was carried out at research farm of The University of Agriculture Peshawar, to study the effect of Humic acid (HA) and farmyard manure (FYM) along with chemical fertilizers on N, P, and K use efficiency and yield of wheat crop during rabi 2020-21. Humic acid and FYM was applied at the rate of 10 kg ha-1 and 10 tons ha-1 respectively while the source of nitrogen was applied at the rate of 90 kg ha-1 and 120 kg ha-1, the source of phosphorous was applied at the rate of 60 kg ha-1 and 90 kg ha-1 and the source of potassium was applied at the rate of 45 kg ha-1 and 60 kg ha-1. Treatments were arranged in randomized complete block design with three replications. Application of HA and FYM along with different levels of synthetic fertilizers significantly improved plant height, biological yield and 1000-grain weight as compared to control. The results indicated that the application of synthetic fertilizers alone significantly increased grain yield from 2535 kg ha-1 in control to 3495 kg ha-1 that was further improved to 3717 kg ha-1 when combined with HA and to 3949 kg ha-1 when applied with FYM. The combined application of FYM and HA with 75% NPK resulted in higher yield than 100% NPK suggesting fertilizers reduction with improvement in yield. Furthermore, the study assessed the total nutrient uptake and use efficiency, indicating that FYM and HA application with NPK fertilizer enhanced the uptake of N, P, and K by wheat plants. Notably, the highest nutrient use efficiency was recorded in plots treated with FYM and HA along with 75% NPK fertilizer. These findings suggest the potential of integrated nutrient management practices to enhance wheat productivity and soil fertility.
Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy caused by CTNNB1 gene mutation in a Chinese family: A case report
Authors: Wang Yanan , Chang Yujie , Chai Yuqiong , Lei Hongtao , Yan Weiyan , Zang Weiwei
Published: January 2024

Background
Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) is an inherited disorder of retinal vascularization insufficiency caused primarily by genetic mutations. So far, FEVR has been less reported in the Chinese population. This study will provide a case of FEVR due to CTNNB1 splice mutation in a Chinese family, which will be helpful for genetic counseling and clinical diagnosis.
Case presentation:
We analyzed a case of familial exudative vitreoretinopathy of Chinese Han origin using whole-exome sequencing. The results showed that the patient presents with neurodevelopmental disorders accompanied by spastic diplegia and visual impairment, as well as FEVR. Whole exome sequencing revealed a splicing mutation of c.1060 + 1G > A in the CTNNB1 gene of the patient. This may be the reason for the pathogenicity of FEVR observed in this patient. Our analysis indicates that this variant produces a truncated protein that contributes to the development of the disease. Genetic testing confirmed the FEVR diagnosis of patients from the study pedigree.
Conclusions
The c.1060 + 1G > A heterozygous mutation in the CTNNB1 gene can lead to FEVR disease, which expands the spectrum of CTNNB1 gene functional loss mutations in the Chinese population.
Behavioral and electrophysiological study in Colossoma macropomum treated with different concentrations of Nepeta cataria oil in an immersion bath revealed a therapeutic window for anesthesia
Authors: Santos Murilo Farias dos , Nascimento Lorena Meirelis do , Paz Clarissa Araújo da , Câmara Tays Mata , Motomya Yan Kenzo Monteiro , Ferreira Rayllan Cunha , Deiga Yris Silva , Santos Erika Monteiro , Cantanhêde Sildiane Martins , Amado Lílian Lund , Hamoy Moisés
Published: January 2024

The purpose of this study was to characterize the activity of essential oils from Nepeta Cataria (EON) at concentrations of 125 µí µí°¿.L-1 , 150 µí µí°¿.L-1 , 175 µí µí°¿.L-1 and 200 µí µí°¿.L-1 on the behavior of loss of the posture reflex and recovery of the posture reflex and electrocardiographic activity and recording of the opercular beat of Colossoma macropomum during immersion bathing for a period of 5 minutes, in order to obtain a window for safe use during anesthesia. The fish (23.38 ± 3.5g) were assigned to the following experiments: Experiment 1 (latency to loss and recovery of the posture reflex): a) 125 µí µí°¿.L-1 b)150 µí µí°¿.L-1 , c) 175 µí µí°¿.L-1 and d) 200 µí µí°¿.L-1 (n=9) per group. Experiment 2 (electrocardiographic and heartbeat recordings): a) Control group; b) Vehicle control group (2 ml of alcohol per liter of water), c) 125 µí µí°¿.L-1 d) 150 µí µí°¿.L-1 , e) 175 µí µí°¿.L-1 and f) 200 µí µí°¿ .L-1 (n=9), per group. All the concentrations used showed efficacy in inducing loss of the posture reflex and reversibility with recovery of the posture reflex, but the electrocardiographic recordings indicated morphographic changes such as bradycardia during induction and p-wave apiculation during recovery at the highest concentrations tested. In this way, we suggest a safe use window for short-term anesthesia with EON in the concentration range of 125 µí µí°¿.L-1 to 150 µí µí°¿.L-1 for juvenile Colossoma macropomum.
Management of Pancreatic and Duodenal Trauma in Childhood: A University Hospital Experience Over a Ten-Year Period
Authors: Mansiroglu M.D. , Cesur M.D. , Firinci a/Prof. , Caglar a/Prof. , Yigiter Prof. , Salman Prof.
Published: January 2024

Purpose
Duodenal/pancreatic injuries occur in less than 10% of intra-abdominal injuries in pediatric blunt trauma. Isolated duodenal/pancreatic injuries occur in two-thirds of cases, while combined injuries occur in the remaining. This study aimed to investigate pediatric patients with pancreatic and duodenal trauma.
Methods
Data from 31 patients admitted to Atatürk University, Medical Faculty, Department of Pediatric Surgery for pancreatic/duodenal trauma between 2010–2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Age/gender, province of origin, duration before hospital admission, trauma type, injured organs, injury severity, diagnostic & therapeutic modalities, complications, hospitalization duration, blood transfusion requirement, and mortality rate were recorded.
Results
24 patients were male, and 7 were female. The mean age was 9 years. The leading cause was bicycle accidents, with 12 cases, followed by traffic accidents/bumps, with 7 cases each. Comorbid organ injuries accompanied 18 cases. Duodenal trauma was most commonly accompanied by liver injuries (4/8), whereas pancreatic injury by pulmonary injuries (7/23). Serum amylase at initial hospital presentation was elevated in 83.9% of the patients. 30 patients underwent abdominal CT, and FAST was performed in 20. While 54.8% of the patients were conservatively managed, 45.2% underwent surgery.
Conclusion
Because of the anatomical proximity of the pancreas and the duodenum, both organs should be considered being co-affected by a localized trauma. Radiologic confirmation of perforation in duodenal trauma, and an intra-abdominal pancreatic pseudocyst in pancreatic trauma, are the most critical surgical indications of pancreaticoduodenal trauma. Conservative management’s success is increased in the absence of duodenal perforation and cases of non-symptomatic pancreatic pseudocyst.
Cohesin loss and MLL-AF9 are not synthetic lethal in murine hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells
Authors: Meyer Alison , Stelloh Cary , Zhu Nan , Rao Sridhar
Published: January 2024

Objective
As cohesin mutations are rarely found in MLL-rearranged acute myeloid leukemias, we investigated the potential synthetic lethality between cohesin mutations and MLL-AF9 using murine hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells.
Results
Contrary to our hypothesis, a complete loss of Stag2 or haploinsufficiency of Smc3 were well tolerated in MLL-AF9-expressing hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. Minimal effect of cohesin subunit loss on the in vitro self-renewal of MLL-AF9-expressing cells was observed. Despite the differing mutational landscapes of cohesin-mutated and MLL fusion AMLs, previous studies showed that cohesin and MLL fusion mutations similarly drive abnormal self-renewal through HOXA gene upregulation. The utilization of a similar mechanism suggests that little selective pressure exists for the acquisition of cohesin mutations in AMLs expressing MLL fusions, explaining their lack of co-occurrence. Our results emphasize the importance of using genetic models to test suspected synthetic lethality and suggest that a lack of co-occurrence may instead point to a common mechanism of action between two mutations.
3d Models as a Source for Neuroanatomy Education: a Stepwise White Matter Dissection Using 3d Images and Photogrammetry Scans
Authors: Oliveira André de Sá Braga , Fernandes João Vítor Andrade , Figueiredo Vera Louise Freire de Albuquerque , Leonel Luciano César Pereira Campos , Bauman Megan M. J. , Link Michael J. , Peris-Celda Maria
Published: January 2024

White matter dissection (WMD) involves isolating bundles of myelinated axons in the brain and serves to gain insights into brain function and neural mechanisms underlying neurological disorders. While effective, cadaveric brain dissections pose certain challenges mainly due to availability of resources. Technological advancements, such as photogrammetry, have the potential to overcome these limitations by creating detailed three-dimensional (3D) models for immersive learning experiences in neuroanatomy. Objective: This study aimed to provide a detailed step-by-step WMD captured using two-dimensional (2D) images and 3D models (via photogrammetry) to serve as a comprehensive guide for studying white matter tracts of the brain. One formalin-fixed brain specimen was utilized to perform the WMD. The brain was divided in a sagittal plane and both cerebral hemispheres were stored in a freezer at -20°C for 10 days, then thawed under running water at room temperature. Micro-instruments under an operating microscope were used to perform a systematic lateral-to-medial and medial-to-lateral dissection, while 2D images were captured and 3D models were created through photogrammetry during each stage of the dissection. Dissection was performed with comprehensive examination of the location, main landmarks, connections, and functions of the white matter tracts of the brain. Furthermore, high-quality 3D models of the dissections were created and housed on SketchFab®, allowing for accessible and free of charge viewing for educational and research purposes. Our comprehensive dissection and 3D models have the potential to increase understanding of the intricate white matter anatomy and could provide an accessible platform for the teaching of neuroanatomy.
3D Gait Analysis in Children Using Wearable Sensors: Feasibility of Predicting Joint Kinematics and Kinetics with Personalized Machine Learning Models and Inertial Measurement Units
Authors: Moghadam Shima Mohammadi , Auriol Pablo Ortega , Yeung Ted , Choisne Julie
Published: January 2024

Children's walking patterns evolve with age, exhibiting less repetitiveness at a young age and more variability than adults. Three-dimensional gait analysis (3DGA) is crucial for understanding and treating lower limb movement disorders in children, traditionally performed using Optical Motion Capture (OMC). Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) offer a cost-effective alternative to OMC, although challenges like drift errors persist. Machine learning (ML) models can mitigate these issues in adults, prompting an investigation into their applicability to a heterogeneous paediatric population. This study aimed at identifying an optimal ML model tailored for children's gait, enabling accurate predictions from IMUs. Seventeen typically developed (TD) children, aged 6 to 15, participated in data collection involving OMC, force plates, and IMU sensors. Joint kinematics and kinetics were computed from OMC and force plates' data using OpenSim. Tsfresh, a Python package, extracted features from raw IMU data. Each target's ten most important features were input in the development of personalized and generalized random forest (RF) and convolutional neural networks (CNN) models. Findings suggested that the RF and CNN models demonstrated comparable performance. RF predicted joint kinematics with a 9.5% and 19.9% NRMSE for personalized and generalized models, respectively, and joint kinetics with an NRMSE of 10.7% for personalized and 15.2% for generalized models in TD children. Personalized models provided accurate estimations from IMU data in children, while generalized models lacked accuracy due to the limited dataset. This study proposed a promising approach for gait time series prediction in children, involving an RF model and two IMUs on the feet.
Graph Neural Networks with Rule-based Embeddings for Enhanced Recommender System
Authors: Williams Samuel , Smith Benjamin , Carter Daniel
Published: January 2024

We are now entering the era of big data, transitioning from a previous era of information scarcity to one where we face significant information overload. In this context, the challenge of filtering out valuable information for individuals from the vast sea of internet data has become increasingly important. A graph is a crucial information organization structure consisting of nodes and edges. Content-based recommendation systems require extensive background knowledge about items and users. This knowledge can often be organized in the form of a knowledge graph. With the development of the internet, a considerable amount of knowledge has been structured into graphs, such as Wikipedia or knowledge trees and classification tree structures like e-commerce directories. This paper conducts research on recommender systems based on graph neural network (GNN) technology. Utilizing graph convolutional neural networks, a graph information extractor is constructed to merge information from the user-item bipartite graph's node neighbors and generate dense vector representations for the nodes. The model employs a multi-task learning approach by introducing the reconstruction tasks of auxiliary information graphs for users and items into the traditional collaborative filtering recommendation task through graph neural networks.
Detecção de fraudes online usando Algoritmos One-class e Autoencoder
Authors: Torezone Evelyn , Cavalieri Daniel
Published: January 2024

Este artigo apresenta uma abordagem com técnicas combinadas para detecção de fraudes online, utilizando algoritmos de classe única combinados com autoencoder. A eficácia da abordagem foi testada e os resultados apresentaram melhorias em relação aos métodos tradicionais. Essa abordagem procura uma melhora na detecção de fraudes online, visando maior precisão na identificação de transações fraudulentas, e buscando reduzir o impacto financeiro causado pela detecção equivocada de fraudes.
Algoritmos de Aprendizado de Máquina Aplicados na Avaliação do Volume de Chuvas na Cidade do Recife
Authors: Albuquerque Adriano , Lima Maria Beatriz , Neves Renata , Araújo Danilo Ricardo
Published: January 2024

A crise climática tem cada vez mais relevância devido aos seus eventos extremos e constantes, com diversos impactos sociais e economicos. A previsibilidade destes eventos, por sua vez, e cada vez mais desafiante. Os avanços em Inteligência Artificial ( IA) possibilitam a extração e classificação de informaçoes capazes de serem usadas na modelagem de dados meteorológicos, e com isto, auxiliam na mitigação dos impactos destes eventos extremos. Este artigo apresenta um comparativo entre modelos de aprendizado de máquina para a classificação do volume de chuvas na cidade do Recife, por meio da análise de dados semanais de precipitação, com objetivo futuro de oferecer maior assertividade na emissão de alertas de eventos extremos. são considerados os seguintes algoritmos: k-nearest neighbors, logistic regression, support vector machine, decision tree e random forest. Foram utilizados dados historicos no intervalo de 17 anos, entre 2005 e 2021, extraídos da estação autom atica (A301) da base do Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (INMET), localizada em Recife. De acordo com os resultados obtidos, o modelo baseado em regressão log ística se destacou, com acurácia de 94,12%. Além disso, foram consideradas tamb em as métricas recall score e receiver operating characteristic score.
Revisión de la morfología, biología e historia de vida del complejo Gonipterus scutellatus (COLEOPTERA: Curculionidae)
Authors: Gamarra Bustamante Julio A.
Published: January 2024

Gonipterus scutellatus es un escarabajo fitófago que se alimenta principalmente de las diferentes especies de Eucalyptus spp. Hasta 2012 se consideraba una sola especie, pero nuevos datos indicaron que en realidad es un complejo, denominado “scutellatus”, de 10 especies crípticas con diferentes niveles de preferencia sobre eucalipto. Este complejo es originario de Australia, y contiene varias especies invasoras, tales como: G. platensis, G. pulverulentus y Gonipterus sp. n. 2, siendo estas una de las principales plagas del eucalipto fuera de su región de origen. Las hembras ponen alrededor de 270 huevos en su vida, agrupados en coprotecas de 8 a 10 huevos. Este insecto experimenta una metamorfosis completa, y el estado larval tiene 4 instares, y su ciclo de vida reporta gran variación con una duración, entre 42.7 a 255.95 días debido a la temperatura y la dieta. Los estudios sobre la preferencia alimenticia y la susceptibilidad de las especies de Eucalyptus muestran que G. platensis y G. pulverulentus tienen preferencias similares, y las especies del subgénero Symphiomyrtus son las más afectadas por esta plaga.
Time Course of Biochemical and Metabolic Parameters During and
After COVID-19
Authors: Ghoreshi Zohreh-al-sadat , Abbasi-jorjandi Mojtaba , Asadikaram Gholamreza , Sharif-zak Mohsen , Haddad Mohammad Khaksari , Afgar Ali , Arefinia Nasir , Dabiri Shahriar , Rosen Clifford
Published: January 2024

Background:

Long COVID is characterized by the persistence of symptoms among individuals who are infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The enduring impact of these long-term
effects on the health and well-being of those affected cannot be denied.

Method:

About 470 patients with SARS-CoV-2 were consecutively recruited in this longitudinal
study. The participants were entered into moderate, severe, and critical groups. 235 out of 470 participants were female. The levels of fasting blood sugar (FBS), alanine transaminase (SGPT), aspartate aminotransferase (SGOT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), creatinine (Cr), urea, uric acid
(UA), and total protein (TP) were measured during hospitalization and again at one and three
months after infection. The levels of Zn and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) were also measured only
during hospitalization.

Result:

COVID-19 severity was associated with high levels of glucose, urea, Cr, ALT, AST,
ALP, and HbA1c, and low levels of Zn, UA, and TP. There were significant sex differences for these markers at all three-time points. Glucose, urea, Cr, ALT, AST, and ALP all decreased three
months after infection, whereas the levels of UA and TP returned towards normal.

Conclusion:

COVID-19 infection affects the levels of multiple biochemical factors in a gender-dependent manner. The biochemical changes become more tangible with increasing disease severity,
and several of these predict mortality. Levels begin to return to normal after the acute phase of the
disease, but in some individuals, at three months, several markers were still not within the normal
range. Whether the trajectory of these changes can predict long COVID requires further testing.
Statin Therapy and Lipid Indices in Chronic Kidney Disease: A Systematic
Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Control Trials
Authors: Karami Jafar , Razi Bahman , Imani Danyal , Aslani Saeed , Pakjoo Mahdi , Fasihi Mahdieh , Mohammadi Keyhan , Sahebkar Amirhossein
Published: January 2024

Background:

Several studies have demonstrated the improvement in serum lipoproteins by statins
in patients with Chronic Kidney Diseases (CKDs), including End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). However, the
results of these studies are inconclusive.

Aims:

We aimed to systematically investigate the effect of statins on lipid profiles of patients with CKD by performing
a meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs).

Methods:

Major electronic databases (Scopus, MEDLINE/PubMed, and ISI Web of Science) were searched
from inception to August, 2023, to find randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the effect of different
statins on serum lipoproteins in CKD patients. Weighted Mean Difference (WMD) with 95% Confidence Intervals
(CI) was used to estimate the effect size. Trial Sequential Analysis (TSA) was performed to confirm the
robustness of the evidence.

Results:

A total of 18 publications were identified. It was found that statins reduced serum levels of Low-Density
Lipoprotein (LDL)-C (WMD = -27.81 mg/dl, 95% CI = -34.47 to -21.15, P < 0.001) and total cholesterol
(WMD = -25.44 mg/dl, 95% CI = -34.71 to -16.18, P < 0.001) in patients with CKD compared to the control
group. Nonetheless, the effect of statins on High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL)-C (WMD = 0.57 mg/dl, 95% CI
= -0.71 to 1.85, P = 0.38) and Triglyceride (TG) (WMD = -9.08 mg/dl, 95% CI = -22.22 to 2.06, P = 0.11)
was not statistically significant. The results of TSA confirmed the robustness of the evidence and were consistent
with the pooled effect size. The findings of subgroup analysis and time response analysis were also significant.

Conclusion:

It was found that statin therapy reduced the levels of LDL-C and total cholesterol in patients with
CKD.
The Role of Zuo Jin Wan in Modulating the Tumor Microenvironment of Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Wang Jiajia , Hua Dongming , Li Mengyao , Liu Ningning , Zhang Yingru , Zhao Yiyang , Jiang Shasha , Hu Xueqing , Wang Yan , Zhu Huirong
Published: January 2024

Introduction:

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can modulate the immune function
of tumor patients in various ways. Zuojin Wan (ZJW, a 6:1 ratio of Huang Lian and Wu Zhu
Yu) can modulate the microenvironment of ulcerative colitis, but its role in regulating the colorectal
cancer (CRC) microenvironment remains unclear. Exploring the role of ZJW in CRC immunomodulation
may improve the antitumor effect of existing immunotherapeutic strategies.

Material and Methods:

The active compounds of each herb in ZJW were obtained from the HIT2.0
database with literature evidence. Single-cell RNA sequencing data of CRC were obtained from
published studies (PMID: 32451460, 32103181, and 32561858). Pathway enrichment was analyzed
using the reactome database, and intergenic correlation analysis was performed using the corrplot R
software package. ZJW-regulated gene expression was verified by RT-qPCR.

Results:

Huang Lian and Wu Zhu Yu contain 19 and 4 compounds, respectively. Huang Lian
targets 146 proteins, and Wu Zhu Yu targets 28 proteins based on evidence from the literature.
ZJW regulates a range of biological processes associated with immune function, including cytokine
signaling and Toll-Like Receptor 4 (TLR4) cascade. ZJW regulates malignant CRC cells, immune
cells (including T-cells, B-cells, mast cells, NK/NKT cells, and myeloid cells), and other nonimmune
cells (including endothelial cells, enteric glial cells, and pericytes). We confirmed that ZJW
significantly downregulated the expression of TIMP1 and MTDHin CRC cell lines.

Conclusions:

ZJW regulates a range of cells in the CRC microenvironment, including malignant
CRC, immune cells, and stromal cells. In CRC cell lines, downregulation of TIMP1 and MTDH
by ZJW may play an important role in the immunomodulation in CRC.
Cancer and Autoimmune Diseases as Two Sides of Chronic Inflammation
and the Method of Therapy
Authors: Rogovskii Vladimir
Published: January 2024

:

Chronic inflammation is associated with a prolonged increase in various inflammatory
factors. According to clinical data, it can be linked with both cancer and autoimmune diseases in
the same patients. This raises the critical question of how chronic inflammation relates to seemingly
opposing diseases - tumors, in which there is immunosuppression, and autoimmune diseases, in
which there is over-activation of the immune system. In this review, we consider chronic inflammation
as a prerequisite for both immune suppression and an increased likelihood of autoimmune
damage. We also discuss potential disease-modifying therapies targeting chronic inflammation,
which can be helpful for both cancer and autoimmunity. On the one hand, pro-inflammatory factors
persisting in the areas of chronic inflammation stimulate the production of anti-inflammatory
factors due to a negative feedback loop, eliciting immune suppression. On the other hand, chronic
inflammation can bring the baseline immunity closer to the threshold level required for triggering
an autoimmune response using the bystander activation of immune cells. Focusing on the role of
chronic inflammation in cancer and autoimmune diseases may open prospects for more intensive
drug discovery for chronic inflammation.
Cytoplasmic Polyadenylation Element Binding Protein 1 and Atherosclerosis: Prospective Target and New Insights
Authors: Zhou Jing , Tang Chao-Ke
Published: January 2024

The ribonucleic acid (RNA)-binding protein Cytoplasmic Polyadenylation Element Binding Protein 1 (CPEB1), a key member of the CPEB family, is essential in controlling gene expression involved in both healthy physiological and pathological processes. CPEB1 can bind to the 3'- untranslated regions (UTR) of substrate messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and regulate its translation. There is increasing evidence that CPEB1 is closely related to the pathological basis of atherosclerosis. According to recent investigations, many pathological processes, including inflammation, lipid metabolism, endothelial dysfunction, angiogenesis, oxidative stress, cellular senescence, apoptosis, and insulin resistance, are regulated by CPEB1. This review considers the prevention and treatment of atherosclerotic heart disease in relation to the evolution of the physiological function of CPEB1, recent research breakthroughs, and the potential participation of CPEB1 in atherosclerosis.
Nutritional and Health Benefits of Cereals and Grains
Authors: Zaib Sumera , Hayat Aqsa , Khan Imtiaz
Published: January 2024

:

The consumption of cereals and grains, along with whole grain food, is considered a
healthy food that has various health benefits. Minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, and vitamins are
present in the diet of many people. Phytochemicals play an essential role in combating oxidative
stress and are present in high amounts in grains. These phytochemicals are also known as secondary metabolites that are present in plants. The nutritional components of basil (Ocimum
basilicum), chia (Salvia hispanica), flax (Linum usitatissimmum), Proso millet (Panicum miliaceum), and oat (Avena sativa) are analyzed. Seeds are considered a good source of omega-3 and
omega-6 fatty acids that have a significant impact on human health. The high amount of tocopherol (vitamin E) is due to the high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). γ-Tocopherol is an antioxidant nutrient that usually blocks the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines
from nitrites present in food in the stomach. This review provides detailed information on the nutritional and health benefits of these cereals and grains, in which all the major components have
been discussed. Conclusively, the potential use of these cereals and grains alone and by mixing
them with other food products is also discussed which may enhance the nutritional content of the
food product.
The Effect of Sexual Education Program on Sexual Function and Genital Self-image, Sexual Quality of Life among Primiparous Women
Authors: Rasekh Jahromi Athar , Jafari Hanie , Adedi Parvin , Javadnoori Mojgan , Mohammadi Solmaz , Rahmanian Vahid , Jamali Safieh
Published: January 2024

Background:

Pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period are among the events that
affect sexual behaviors and interactions, which are associated with many physical and emotional
changes.

Objective:

This study aims to examine the effect of sex education on Genital Self-Image (GSI),
Sexual Quality of Life (SQOL), and sexual function among primiparous women.

Methods:

This study was a randomized controlled trial conducted on 140 primiparous women referred
to the Women's Clinic of Jahrom City from February to October 2020. Participants were assigned
to an intervention group (n = 70) and a control group (n = 70). The intervention group received
sexual education consisting of two sessions a week (90 min each) for eight consecutive
weeks; the control group received none. Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), Sexual Quality of
life-Female (SQOL-F) questionnaire, and Genital Self-Image were completed before and four
weeks after the end of the intervention in both groups. Questionnaires were used to assess the variables'
dimensions both before and after each intervention. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, independent
t-test, paired t-test, analysis of covariance, and regression analysis were used to examine
the collected data in SPSS 21.

Results:

The total score of FSFI in the intervention group significantly increased from 24.14 ± 3.02
to 27.31 ± 2.59 (P< 0.0001) .Besides, there was a significant difference among the mean scores of
the FSFI domains, including desire (4.82 ± 0.84 vs. 3.42 ± 0.98), arousal (4.91 ± 0.67 vs. 3.60 ±
1.12), orgasm (5.14 ± 0.82 vs. 3.53 ± 1.49), lubrication (5.94 ± 0.83 vs. 4.47 ± 0.97), satisfaction
(5.50 ± 0.67 vs. 4.62 ± 1.09), pain (3.53 ± 1.01 vs. 4.26 ± 1.42), total Score FSFI (27.86 ± 3.56 vs.
24.02 ± 4.84), genital self-image (20.44 ± 3.16 vs. 10.41 ± 2.22), and sexual quality of life (52.37 ±
3.61 vs. 30.87 ± 3.47) between the intervention, and control groups after the educational intervention
(p< 0.05). There was no such difference before the intervention.

Conclusion:

Sexual education improves sexual function, GSI, and SQOL in primiparous women.
Therefore, sexual education workshops are suggested to prevent sexual problems in the postpartum
period for all women, especially primiparous women.
The Cytotoxicity Effect of Chitosan-Encapsulated Ricin-Herceptin Immunotoxin Nanoparticles on Breast Cancer Cell Lines
Authors: Golestani Poor Mohammad Hossein , Zare Karizi Shohreh , Mirhosseini Seyed Ali , Motamedi Mohammad Javad , Frootan Fateme , Khani Soghra , Amani Jafar
Published: January 2024

Background:

The use of targeted therapy has been increasing for cancer treatment.
The aim of this study is to investigate chitosan-based ricin-Herceptin (rh) immunotoxin on breast
cancer cell lines.

Methods:

The gene construct encoding immunotoxin was designed, cloned, and expressed in E.
coli BL21 (DE3). The expressed proteins were isolated by the nickel-nitrilotriacetic acid column
and were analyzed by the Western-blotting. The cytotoxicity of immunotoxin was assayed on
breast cell line MCF-7 and using MTT assay at 24 and 48 h treatment.

Results:

The immunotoxins extrication rate, size, loading percentage, and electric charge of
nanoparticles were reported appropriately as 78%, 151.5 nm, 83.53%, and +11.1 mV, respectively.
The encapsulated immunotoxins led to the death of 70% and 78% of MCF-7 cells at 24
and 48 h treatment, respectively. The noncapsulated counterparts at equal doses killed 53% and
62% of cancer cells at the same time points.

Conclusion:

The chitosan-immunotoxins impose potential cytotoxic effects on cancer cells.
Achievements and Difficulties with Batch and Optimization Investigations of Heavy Metal Adsorptive Removal Utilizing Enhanced Biomass-based Adsorption Materials
Authors: El-Fahaam Mohamed M. , Sanad Mohamed N. , Farouz Mohamed
Published: January 2024

:

Surface enhancement improves the porousness and surface area (SSA) of biomass
materials, which boosts their adsorption capability. This work investigates recent advances in
surface modification technologies of biomass-based materials for heavy metal adsorption, including
Pb, As, Cr, Fe, Cd, Mn, Cu, Co, Hg, Ni, Zn, and their ions in waters/wastewaters. The
chemical structure and surface properties of biomass were examined in connection with various
surface modification approaches and their effects on the adsorption process. In addition, adsorption
performance we assessed using various operating conditions, isotherms, kinetics, and computational
and artificial intelligence methodologies. This study found that acid-activated Posidonia
oceanica had the highest adsorption effectiveness of 631.13 mg/g to eliminate Pb2+, whereas
H3PO4/furnace-modified oil palm biomass had the lowest (0.1576 mg/g) for removing Cd2+.
Important insights into knowledge gaps for changing these materials for extremely effective
adsorption performance were emphasized to improve the area.
An Expedition on Synthetic Methodology of FDA-approved Anticancer Drugs
(2018-2021)
Authors: Vishakha S. , Navneesh N. , Kurmi Balak Das , Das Gupta Ghanshyam , Verma Sant Kumar , Jain Ankit , Patel Preeti
Published: January 2024

New drugs being established in the market every year produce specified structures for selective biological
targeting. With medicinal insights into molecular recognition, these begot molecules open new rooms for
designing potential new drug molecules. In this review, we report the compilation and analysis of a total of 56
drugs including 33 organic small molecules (Mobocertinib, Infigratinib, Sotorasib, Trilaciclib, Umbralisib, Tepotinib,
Relugolix, Pralsetinib, Decitabine, Ripretinib, Selpercatinib, Capmatinib, Pemigatinib, Tucatinib, Selumetinib,
Tazemetostat, Avapritinib, Zanubrutinib, Entrectinib, Pexidartinib, Darolutamide, Selinexor, Alpelisib,
Erdafitinib, Gilteritinib, Larotrectinib, Glasdegib, Lorlatinib, Talazoparib, Dacomitinib, Duvelisib, Ivosidenib,
Apalutamide), 6 metal complexes (Edotreotide Gallium Ga-68, fluoroestradiol F-18, Cu 64 dotatate, Gallium 68
PSMA-11, Piflufolastat F-18, 177Lu (lutetium)), 16 macromolecules as monoclonal antibody conjugates (Brentuximabvedotin,
Amivantamab-vmjw, Loncastuximabtesirine, Dostarlimab, Margetuximab, Naxitamab, Belantamabmafodotin,
Tafasitamab, Inebilizumab, SacituzumabGovitecan, Isatuximab, Trastuzumab, Enfortumabvedotin,
Polatuzumab, Cemiplimab, Mogamulizumab) and 1 peptide enzyme (Erwiniachrysanthemi-derived
asparaginase) approved by the U.S. FDA between 2018 to 2021. These drugs act as anticancer agents against
various cancer types, especially non-small cell lung, lymphoma, breast, prostate, multiple myeloma, neuroendocrine
tumor, cervical, bladder, cholangiocarcinoma, myeloid leukemia, gastrointestinal, neuroblastoma, thyroid,
epithelioid and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. The review comprises the key structural features, approval
times, target selectivity, mechanisms of action, therapeutic indication, formulations, and possible synthetic approaches
of these approved drugs. These crucial details will benefit the scientific community for futuristic new
developments in this arena.
Lead Identification Through In Silico Studies: Targeting Acetylcholinesterase
Enzyme Against Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Agarwal Dhairiya , Kumar Sumit , Ambatwar Ramesh , Bhanwala Neeru , Chandrakar Lokesh , Khatik Gopal L.
Published: January 2024

Aim:

In this work, we aimed to acquire the best potential small molecule for Alzheimer's
disease (AD) treatment using different models in Biovia Discovery Studio to identify
new potential inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) via in silico studies.

Background:

The prevalence of cognitive impairment-related neurodegenerative disorders,
such as AD, has been observed to escalate rapidly. However, we still know little about the underlying
functions, outcome predictors, or intervention targets causing AD.

Objective:

The objective of the study was to optimize and identify the lead compound to target
AChE against Alzheimer’s disease.

Method:

Different in silico studies were employed, including the pharmacophore model, virtual
screening, molecular docking, de novo evolution model, and molecular dynamics.

Result:

The pharmacophoric features of AChE inhibitors were determined by ligand-based
pharmacophore models and 3D QSAR pharmacophore generation. Further validation of the
best pharmacophore model was done using the cost analysis method, Fischer’s randomization
method, and test set. The molecules that harmonized the best pharmacophore model with the
estimated activity < 1 nM and ADMET parameters were filtered, and 12 molecules were subjected
to molecular docking studies to obtain binding energy. 3vsp_EK8_1 secured the highest
binding energy of 65.60 kcal/mol. Further optimization led to a 3v_Evo_4 molecule with a better
binding energy of 70.17 kcal/mol. The molecule 3v_evo_4 was subjected to 100 ns molecular
simulation compared to donepezil, which showed better stability at the binding site.

Conclusion:

A lead compound, 3v_Evo_4 molecule, was identified to inhibit AChE, and it
could be further studied to develop as a drug with better efficacy than the existing available
drugs for treating AD.
Two Birds with One Stone: Drug Regime Targets Viral Pathogenesis
Phases and COVID-19 ARDS at the Same Time
Authors: Ghavami Ghazaleh , Sardari Soroush
Published: January 2024

Background:

Severe COVID-19 or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
(SARS-CoV-2) is a kind of viral pneumonia induced by infection with the coronavirus that
causes ARDS. It involves symptoms that are a combination of viral pneumonia and ARDS. Antiviral or immunosuppressive medicines are used to treat many COVID-19 patients. Several
drugs are now undergoing clinical studies in order to see if they can be repurposed in the future.

Material and Methods:

In this study, in silico biomarker-targeted methodologies, such as target/molecule virtual screening by docking technique and drug repositioning strategy, as well as
data mining approach and meta-analysis of investigational data, were used.

Results:

In silico findings of used combination of drug repurposing and high-throughput docking methods presented acetaminophen, ursodiol, and β-carotene as a three-drug therapy regimen
to treat ARDS induced by viral pneumonia in addition to inducing direct antiviral effects
against COVID-19 viral infection.

Conclusion:

In the current study, drug repurposing and high throughput docking methods have
been employed to develop combination drug regimens as multiple-molecule drugs for the therapy of COVID-19 and ARDS based on a multiple-target therapy strategy. This approach offers
a promising avenue for the treatment of COVID-19 and ARDS, and highlights the potential
benefits of drug repurposing in the fight against the current pandemic.