bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Activated Pancreatic Stellate Cells Enhance the Warburg Effect to Cause the Malignant Development in Chronic Pancreatitis
Authors: Ye Tao , Feng Shao , Zheng Liu , Ming Cai , Futao Meng , Qiang Huang
Published: August 2021

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a precancerous condition associated with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), but its evolutionary mechanism is unclear. Pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) are closely related to the occurrence and development of CP and PDAC, but it is not clear whether PSCs play a key role in this "inflammation-cancer transition". Our research found that co-culture with activated PSCs promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion of normal pancreatic duct epithelial cells and pancreatic cancer cells. At the same time, activated PSCs had a significant effect on the expression of the glycolysis markers (pyruvate kinase M2, lactate dehydrogenase A, glucose transporter 1, hexokinase-II and monocarboxylate transporter 4; PKM2, LDHA, GLUT1, HK2 and MCT4) in normal pancreatic duct epithelial cells and pancreatic cancer cells and increased lactic acid production and glucose consumption in these two cells. In vivo experiments showed that the expression of the glycolysis markers in pancreatic duct epithelial cells and the marker protein (α-SMA) of activated PSCs in the pancreatic duct peripancreatic interstitium were higher in pancreatic cancer tissues and chronic pancreatitis tissues than in normal pancreatic tissues in both animals and humans. In addition, analysis of human tissue specimens showed that there is a correlation between the expression of glycolysis markers and α-SMA. These findings indicate that activated PSCs play an important role in the development and progression of chronic pancreatitis into pancreatic cancer by regulating and promoting aerobic glycolysis. Our research provides a new theoretical basis for further understanding the mechanism of CP malignancy and the selection of targets for reversing CP malignancy.
A Radiomics Nomogram for Non-Invasive Prediction of Progression-Free Survival in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Yan Ting , liu lili , Peng Meilan , Yan Zhenpeng , Wang Qingyu , Zhang Shan , Wang Lu , Zhuang Xiaofei , Liu Huijuan , Ma Yanchun , Wang Bin , Cui Yongping
Published: August 2021

Objectives: To construct a prognostic model for preoperative prediction based on computed tomography (CT) images of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Methods: Radiomics signature was constructed using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) with high throughput radiomics features that extracted from the CT images of 272 patients (204 in training and 68 in validation cohort), who were pathologically confirmed ESCC. Multivariable logistic regression was adopted to build the radiomics signature and another predictive nomogram model, which was composed with radiomics signature, traditional TNM stage and clinical features. Then its performance was assessed by the calibration and decision curve analysis (DCA). Results: 16 radiomics features were selected from 954 to build a radiomics signature，which were significantly associated with progression-free survival (PFS) (p<0.001). The area under the curve (AUC) of performance was 0.891 (95% CI: 0.845-0.936) for training cohort and 0.706 (95% CI: 0.583-0.829) for validation cohort. The radscore of signatures’ combination showed significant discrimination for survival status in both two cohort. Kaplan-Meier survival curve further confirmed the radscore has a better prognostic performance in training cohort. Radiomics nomogram combined radscore with TNM staging showed significant improvement over TNM staging alone in training cohort (C-index, 0.802 vs 0.628; p<0.05), and it is the same with clinical data (C-index, 0.798 vs 0.660; p<0.05). Findings were confirmed in the validation cohort. DCA showed CT-based radiomics model will receive benefit when the threshold probability was between 0 and 0.9. Heat maps revealed associations between radiomics features and tumor stages.Conclusions: Multiparametric CT-based radiomics nomograms provided improved prognostic ability in ESCC.
SSE Path Routing Protocol for WSN IOT Using Fuzzy Mean Weighted Code and Enthalpy ANN-GOA
Authors: Rani Poonam , Sharma Avinash
Published: August 2021

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) play a key role in the Internet of Things (IoT) by delivering cost-effective solutions for specific IoT applications. The amount of energy used to transport data from a sensor node to its destination is a significant consideration when developing wireless sensor network routing strategies. A variety of routing protocols are utilised in WSN to improve network performance. When a node's mode transitions from active to sleep, the efficiency declines because data packets must wait at the starting point where they were transmitted, which increases packets' waiting time and end-to-end latency, resulting in an increase in energy consumption. This study proposes the SSE Path routing protocol as a Scalable, Secure, and Energy Efficient Routing Protocol for WSN IoT. Our proposed protocol, first selecting the nodes using a single-hop clustering algorithm. Second, FMWC (Fuzzy Mean Weighted Code) based packet coded operation for the security of packet. Finally, Scalable Enthalpy Artificial Neural-Network Based Grasshopper Optimization Algorithm (EANN-GOA) algorithm for selecting the congestion-free path for transit the data packets. The experimental results revelations the dominance of presented protocol comparing with the existing protocols.
Metabolic remodeling during murine early embryo development
Authors: Zhao Jing , Yao Ke , Yu Hua , Zhang Ling , Xu Yuyan , Hu Zeping , Zhang Jin , Chen Lang , Sun Zhen , Zhu Yuqing , Zhang Chen , Qian Yuli , Ji Shuyan , Zhang Min , Chen Jie , Correia Cristina , Weiskittel Taylor , Lin Da-Wei , Chandrasekaran Sriram , Fu Xudong , Zhang Dan , Fan Heng-Yu , Xie Wei , Li Hu , Hu Zeping , Zhang Jin
Published: August 2021

During early mammalian embryogenesis, dynamic changes in cell growth and proliferation are tightly linked to the underlying genetic and metabolic regulation. However, our understanding of metabolic reprogramming and its impact on epigenetic regulation in early embryo development remains elusive 1. Here, we profiled metabolomes of embryos from the 2-cell and blastocyst stages, and their in vitro counterpart 2-cell like cells and ES cells, and reconstructed their metabolic landscape through the transition from totipotency to pluripotency. Our integrated metabolomics and transcriptomics analysis showed that 2-cell embryos favor methionine, polyamine and glutathione metabolism and stay in a more reductive state, whereas blastocyst embryos have higher mitochondrial TCA cycle metabolites and are in a more oxidative state. Moreover, we identify a reciprocal relationship between α-ketoglutarate (α-KG) and the competitive inhibitor of α-KG-dependent dioxygenases L-2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG)2, namely, higher L-2-HG in the 2-cell embryos inherited from oocytes and 1-cell zygotes, and higher α-KG in the blastocyst. Supplementing 2-HG or knocking down L2hgdh, a gene encoding the 2-HG consuming enzyme L-2-hydroxyglutarate dehydrogenase 3 impeded erasure of global histone methylation markers 4–6. Together, our data demonstrate dynamic and interconnected metabolic, transcriptional and epigenetic network remodeling during murine early embryo development.
NLRP3 Promotes Immune Escape by Regulating Immune Checkpoints: A Pan-cancer Analysis
Authors: Ding Yue , Yan Yilin , Dong Yihui , Xu Jingyuan , Su Wei , Yang Zhou , Zou Qi , Yang Xiaoping
Published: August 2021

NLRP3 plays a pathogenic role in tumorigenesis by regulating innate and acquired immunity, apoptosis, differentiation, and intestinal microbes in tumors. In different tumors, NLRP3 plays different roles, and its mechanism is complex. Our research aimed to comprehensively investigated the role of NLRP3 in pan-cancers based on multi-omics data in the TCGA database. We found the expression of NLRP3 was changed in tumors compared with paired non-tumor specimens. Most types of tumors showed increased expression of NLRP3. Among them, the overexpressed NLRP3 in liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) and ovarian cancer (OV) indicated worse overall survival (OS). Further analysis also confirmed overexpressed NLRP3 in colon cancer (COAD) indicated a high probability of microsatellite instability (MSI) and low tumor mutational burden (TMB), which indicated a better response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). We also analyzed the association between NLRP3, immune infiltration, and immune checkpoints. Interestingly, overexpression of NLRP3 was closely related to high infiltration of immune cells (T cells, B cells, etc.) and overexpressed immune checkpoints (PD-1, PD-L1, LAG3, etc.). These results demonstrated NLRP3 promoted immune escape in cancers. Finally, we investigated the expression of various immune checkpoints by treating NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 during the co-culture of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and LIHC cell line Hep3B. We found MCC950 significantly repressed the expression of PD-L1 and LAG3, and promoted the apoptosis rate of Hep3B. In conclusion, our research comprehensive demonstrated the role of NLRP3 in pan-cancer, especially in LIHC. We confirmed inhibition of NLRP3 promoting the immune killing effect to cancer cells by repressing the expression of immune checkpoints.
Nucleotide Variation In The Phytoene Synthase (ClPsy1) Gene Contributes To Golden Flesh In Watermelon (Citrullus Lanatus L.)
Authors: Liu Shi , Gao Zhongqi , Luan Feishi , Wang Xuezheng , Dai Zuyun , Yang Zhongzhou , Zhang Qian
Published: August 2021

Vitamin A deficiency is a worldwide public nutrition problem, and β-carotene is the precursor for vitamin A synthesis. Watermelon with golden flesh (gf, due to accumulated abundance of β-carotene) is an important germplasm resource. In this study, a genetic analysis of gf segregating populations indicated that gf was controlled by a single recessive gene. BSA-seq and an initial linkage analysis placed the gf locus in a 290-Kb region on watermelon chromosome 1. Further fine mapping in a large population with over 1,000 F2 plants narrowed this region to 39.08 Kb harboring two genes, Cla97C01G008760 and Cla97C01G008770, which encode phytoene synthase (ClPsy1) and GATA zinc finger domain-containing protein, respectively. Gene sequence alignment and expression analysis between parental lines revealed Cla97C01G008760 as the best possible candidate gene for gf trait. Nonsynonymous SNP mutations in the first exon of ClPsy1 between parental lines cosegregated with the gf trait only among individuals in the genetic population but were not related to flesh color in natural watermelon panels. Promoter sequence analysis of 26 watermelon accessions revealed two SNPs in the cis-acting element sequences corresponding to MYB and MYC2 transcription factors. RNA-seq data and qRT-PCR verification showed that two MYBs and one MYC2 exhibited expression trends similar as ClPsy1 in the parental lines, which may thus play roles in the regulation of ClPsy1 expression. Our research findings indicate that the gf trait is determined not only by ClPsy1 but also by ClLCYB, ClCRTISO and ClNCED7, which play important roles in β-carotene accumulation in watermelon flesh.
Agreement Between Rapid Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Test Kit and ELISA for the Diagnosis of Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Gondar, North West Ethiopia.
Authors: Lemma Mulualem , Tsegay Gueshay , Adane Kasaw
Published: August 2021

Background: Hepatitis B Virus is one of the major causes of global public health problems. Diagnosis of HBV is done by using ELISA and immune-chromatographic assays for detecting different serologic markers. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) is the most frequently used serological marker employed to diagnosis HBV using Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) and Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) methods. The RDT method is the most commonly used diagnostic tool in Ethiopia as well as in most African countries. Therefore assessing and knowing the diagnostic performance of the RDT is important. Method: A prospective cross sectional study was done at University of Gondar comprehensive specialized Hospital from Feb, 2017- May, 2017. Ethical clearance was obtained from School of Biomedical and Laboratory Sciences Research Ethics Committee. Permission was obtained from Blood Bank office to use blood sample collected from voluntary blood donors. HBsAg was diagnosed using RDT and ELISA methods. ELISA considered as gold-standard to the performance of RDT. Data were entered into statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 20 software and analysis was done by using SPSS and for sensitivity, specificity, predictive value, and likelihood ratio Medi calc software. The agreement of the methods presented assessed using kappa value. Result: Each 161 specimen was diagnosed using both ELISA (ADVANCED®) and RDT (Ecotest®). A total ELISA confirmed 41 positive specimens and 120 ELISA confirmed negative specimens were re-analyzed using RDT. The results of RDT showed only 35 positives from the total tested specimens including 29 which already positive by ELISA and RDT showing a sensitivity of 70.7% and specificity 95% with its kappa value 0.69 indicating a good agreement with ELISA.Conclusion and recommendation: Rapid Ecotest® test of HBsAg has good agreement with ELISA but low sensitivity and high false negative value, so there should be an algorithm for HBV diagnostic methods when we used a rapid test kits.
TMT-Based Proteomic Profiling Reveals the Molecular Mechanism in the Cold Tolerance of Rhododendron Aureum Georgi.
Authors: Zhou Xiaofu , Cao Kun , Zhang Ziyao , Tan Yun , Fan Hang , Xu Hongwei
Published: August 2021

Background: Cold stress is one of the important factors that restrict plant growth and regional distribution. Under cold acclimation conditions, plants growing in temperate zones reprogram the gene expression in the cells, making the plants better cope with the coming cold stress. However, under natural environmental conditions, the climate is complex and changeable. The sudden large temperature drop will bring serious disasters to plants. Rhododendron aureum Georgi, as an evergreen plant growing in high altitude areas of Changbai Mountain, the harsh ecological environment may endow it with different cold tolerance characteristics. Results: In this study, the proteomic difference between samples under control and cold stress were compared pairwise. A total of 360 DAPs were identified, of which 175 were down-regulated and 185 were up-regulated when comparing these two sets of data. The high cold tolerance of Rhododendron plants can be attributed to: accumulation of chaperone proteins; the up-regulation of components related to translation; enhancement of catabolism and reduction in anabolism, provide energy for plants and fight against cold stress; enhanced cellular antioxidant capacity; modification of components in cell wall, membrane, and cytoskeleton. Conclusion: These results provide an in-depth understanding of the cold tolerance mechanism of Rhododendron. The identified genes and metabolic pathways provide a certain reference for the genetic improvement of plant cold tolerance.
Mothers’ Experiences of Wellbeing and Coping While Living with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Parton Chloe , Ussher Jane M. , Perz Janette
Published: August 2021

Background

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can result in difficulties for mothers when undertaking daily care activities and increased psychological distress. However, few studies have examined how women with RA subjectively experience coping and wellbeing as part of their motherhood.
Methods

Twenty mothers with a diagnosis of RA and a dependent child (18 years or younger) who were living in Australia took part in a semi-structured interview between June and November 2017. Purposive sampling was undertaken to include participants across degree of current RA severity, number and age of children, and having received a diagnosis before or after a first child to take account of variability across these experiences. A qualitative thematic analysis was conducted on the interview transcripts.
Results

The following themes were identified: ‘Burden and complexity in the mothering role’, ‘Losing control: Women’s experiences of distress’, and ‘Adjusting and letting go: Women’s experiences of wellbeing’. Experiences of distress, including feelings of failure, were associated with accounts of a loss of control over mothering practices among women, regardless of child age. In contrast, accounts of adjusting mothering practices and relinquishing control were associated with reports of enhanced wellbeing. In addition, some mothers reported greater ease due to increased independence of older children. The absence of social support exacerbated burden and distress in the women’s accounts, while the availability of support alleviated burden and was associated with reports of wellbeing.
Conclusion

Health professionals and services can provide support to mothers with RA by addressing feelings of failure, acknowledging strategies of adjustment and letting go, and encouraging access to social support.
Application of Neck Ultrasound in the Diagnosis of Sarcoidosis
Authors: Shen Mengjun , Zhou Ying , Gu Weiqing , Yin Chengsheng , Wang Yin , Zhang Yuan
Published: August 2021

Objective: To explore the significance of neck ultrasound (NUS) combined with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the diagnosis of sarcoidosis.Methods: 88 patients with evidence of intrathoracic lymphadenopathy and suspected sarcoidosis with enlarged cervical lymph nodes underwent NUS, CEUS, fine-needle aspiration (FNA) and core needle biopsy (CNB) when technically feasible were retrospectively analyzed in this study. Seven characteristics such as enhanced mode (EM), resolution time (RT), Color Doppler Flow Imaging (CDFI) , fading time (FT), peaking state-uniformity (PTSU), strengthen the area (STA) and symmetry were considered to perform the logistic regression model.Results: Of 88 patients included in this study, sarcoidosis was accounted in 20 cases, tuberculosis in 23 cases, malignancy in 22 cases and inflammatory lymph node in 23 cases. There were statistically significant differences in symmetry, lymphatic hilum, homogeneity, CDFI pattern and elasticity score between the sarcoidosis and non-sarcoidosis groups via NUS. Similarly, we also acknowledged a statistically significant differences in enhanced mode, homogeneity, presence or absence of necrosis between the sarcoidosis and non-sarcoidosis groups via CEUS to further group the non-sarcoidosis into tuberculosis, malignancy or inflammatory disorder. The percentage correction of prediction was 90% (18/20).Conclusion：NUS combined with CEUS has characteristic features in sarcoidosis with cervical lymph node involvement, which is helpful for its diagnosis and differential diagnosis. The binary classification model of NUS combined with CEUS features can help differentiate sarcoidosis from non-sarcoidosis groups.
Modeling and Finite-Time Sliding Model Control of a Lower Limb Exoskeleton for Use in Rehabilitation
Authors: Tople Uddesh Kishor , Khandare Amrapali Anandkumar , Itankar Atharv Dipak , Dogga Satya Kartheek
Published: August 2021

Exoskeleton systems in recent years has become a prime choice technology due to the various possibilities it can deliver. These possibilities comprise the assisting and rehabilitative techniques designed for disabled and elderly people, so that they can regain control of their limbs and in addition to this also to augment and boost the abilities of able-bodied persons during heavy work-load conditions. Many works are reported on the modeling and control of a exoskeleton robot, but very few paper discuss the complete derivation of the model of the system. Here, first the dynamic model of a physical system used as lower limb exoskeleton robot is obtained. Secondly the analysis of the system done that is derived through dynamic modelling of a 3-link robotic manipulator using Euler-Lagrange approach and validation of the corresponding model in simulation. Further, design of a finite-time SMC for desired trajectory tracking of the system is implemented. The dynamic model of the 3-link system and its control using finite-time sliding mode control are validated in MATLAB simulation environment.
IRF2 Destabilizes Oncogenic KPNA2 to Modulate the Tumorigenesis of Osteosarcoma via Regulating NF-κB/p65
Authors: Xia Shuchi , Ma Yiqun
Published: August 2021

Background: Osteosarcomas (OS) are the most frequent primary malignant bone tumor. Emerging evidence revealed that karyopherin alpha 2 (KPNA2) was strongly associated with the tumorigenesis and development of numerous human cancers. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression pattern, biological functions and underlying mechanism of KPNA2 in OS. Methods: Bioinformatics TFBIND online was applied to forecast the transcription factor (TF) binding sites in the promoter region of KPNA2. The expression profile of KPNA2 in OS tissues were firstly assessed using TARGET dataset. The expression of KPNA2 in clinical OS samples and normal human adjacent samples were analyzed by RT-qPCR and western blot. CCK8, colony formation, wound-healing, and Transwell assays were used to assess cell viability, proliferation and migration in vitro, and in vivo experiments were performed to explore the effects of KPNA2 and interferon regulatory factor-2 (IRF2) on tumor growth. In addition, the correlation between IRF2 and KPNA2, and their roles on the NF-κB/p65 was investigated using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), RT-qPCR, western blot and dual-luciferase assays. Results: KPNA2 was obviously upregulated while IRF2 was significantly decreased in OS tissues and cell lines, as well as they were negatively correlated with each other. KPNA2 knockdown remarkably suppressed OS cell growth, migration, invasion in vitro and tumor growth in vivo, while IRF2 knockdown exerts an opposing effect. IRF2 binds to KPNA2 promoter to modulate the tumorigenic malignant phenotypes of OS via regulating NF-κB/p65 signaling. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that KPNA2 performed the oncogenic function, possibly regulating tumorigenesis through NF-κB/p65 signaling pathway. Importantly, IRF2 was confirmed to serve a potential upstream TF of KPNA2 involving in the regulation of NF-κB/p65 pathway in OS.
Heavy metal pollution assessment and its indexing approach for drinking water around inactive mine sites, Southwestern region of Cuddapah Basin, South India.
Authors: Yenugu Sudharshan Reddy , Vangala Sunitha , Badri Suvarna
Published: August 2021

Hazardous compounds in aquifers, especially potentially toxic heavy metals, are a major environmental and socioeconomic problem around the world. Hence, the study is intense to quantify, for the first time, the pollution status and ecological risk of heavy metals around inactive mining sites in the Southwestern (SW) region of Cuddapah Basin. Ten heavy metals, including arsenic (As), cobalt (Co), cadmium (Cd), iron (Fe), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn) and strontium (Sr) were investigated for a total of 50 groundwater samples of this study. The findings of the study revealed that arsenic (0-60.5 and o.56.3 µg/L), cadmium (0-28.1 and 0.31.1 µg/L), nickel (0-110.2 and 0–99 µg/L)), lead (0-175.6 and 0-92.3), Strontium (0-1150 and 0-1440 µg/L) concentrations are above the acceptable levels in both pre and post – monsoon seasons. The Heavy Metal Pollution Index (HPI), Heavy Metal Evolution Index (HEI) and Degree of contamination (DOC) are applied to assess hazardous metal pollution in drinking water of this area. According to HPI values 17.5 % and 10% of samples fall under high pollution index; as per the classes of HEI, 95 % and 100% of samples fall under low pollution class during the pre and post-monsoon season. According to DOC, all groundwater samples fall in a low zone. As per ecological risk classification, 90% of the samples cause extreme high ecological risk in pre & post-monsoon season in the study area.
Does Prevalence of Sexual Dysfunction Differ Among The Most Common Causes of Infertility? A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Ashrafi Mahnaz , Jahangiri Nadia , Sadatmahalleh shahideh Jahanian , mirzaei negin , Hesari Naiiere. Gharagozloo , Rostami Frahnaz
Published: August 2021

Background

Sexuality as a fundamental component of women’s health, can be affected by infertility. The current study aimed at comparing the prevalence of sexual dysfunction among women with the most common causes of infertility.
Methods

The current cross-sectional study was conducted on 240 infertile females with infertility due to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS, n = 80), endometriosis (n = 80) and male factor (n = 80) at Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine (Tehran, Iran) and 160 fertile women at health care centers, between May 2016 and June 2017. Sexual function was assessed by Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 25.00) and differences were regarded statistically significant at p < 0. 05.
Results

The prevalence of female sexual dysfunction was 98.8% in women with PCOS, 100.0% in those with endometriosis, and 80.0% in those with male factor infertility. Overall, 36.2% of the enrolled fertile women were suffering from sexual dysfunction.
Conclusions

There was an association between the prevalence of female sexual dysfunction or individual domain scores of the FSFI, and infertility etiologies. Therefore, infertility care providers are required to take this into consideration and develop preventive strategies in this regard.
Incidence Rates of Myomectomy-Related Mortality and Venous Thromboembolism in South Korea: A Population-Based Study
Authors: Yuk Jin-Sung , Kim Myounghwan
Published: August 2021

Purpose
Uterine leiomyomas are the most commonly observed pathologies, with an estimated prevalence of 4.5–68.6%. We aimed to calculate the post-myomectomy mortality rates in the Republic of Korea.
Methods
The data of patients who underwent myomectomy (2009–2018) were obtained from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service-National Inpatient Sample. The mortality rate after myomectomy was calculated using the leiomyoma diagnostic codes and myomectomy procedure codes.
Results
The data of 23,549 women who underwent myomectomy among 3,307,214 women aged 15–55 years were extracted. The rate of myomectomy was 14.6 ± 0.1 per 10,000 patients. The average age was 39.39 ± 0.04 years. One patient who underwent myomectomy died; this patient did not have concomitant venous thromboembolism (VTE). The post-myomectomy mortality rate was 1.3 ± 0.8 per 10,000 patients. The incidence rates of VTE, deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism after myomectomy were 5.7 ± 1.6 per 10,000 patients, 4.4 ± 1.4 per 10,000 patients, and 2.5 ± 1 per 10,000 patients, respectively. The conversion rate to hysterectomy was 2.9 ± 1.1 per 10,000 patients.
Conclusion
The current mortality rate after myomectomy (0.013%) is substantially lower than that described in previous studies at the turn of the 20th century.
A Low Profile Asterick-Shaped Polarization Free Metamaterial-Inspired Absorber for Penta-Band Characteristics
Authors: Singh Raghvenda Kumar , Gupta Ashish , Yadav Akash , Gupta Nishchay , Tyagi Utkarsh
Published: August 2021

A penta-band absorber is proposed and developed exhibiting ultra thin and polarization insensitive behavior. It has been designed to be operated in S, C and Ku bands with absorptions peaks at more than 95%. Proposed absorber is processed on a FR4 Glass Epoxy laminate with equivalent electrical thickness of 0.0108 λ0 where λ0 is the wavelength corresponding to the lowest frequency of operation. This confirms the ultra-thin nature of the structure. The absorption pattern of the proposed structure has been characterized under normal and oblique incidence followed by their experimental verification. Presented results demonstrate highly polarization-independent behavior of the proposed absorber due to its symmetric geometry. Also, the electromagnetic field distributions have been studied to acquire better insight of the absorption mechanism corresponding to distinct elements presented in the structure. Then the suggested structure is characterized in terms of its behavior as metamaterial, which ensures the miniaturization. The proposed absorber is suitable to be used in applications like radar cross section reduction, stealth technology, radio frequency identification and electromagnetic compatibility.
Transcriptome based identification and validation of heat stress transcription factors in wheat progenitor species Aegilops speltoides
Authors: Seni Sushmita , Kaur Satinder , Malik Palvi , Yadav Inderjit Singh , Sirohi Parul , Chauhan Harsh , Kaur Amandeep , Chhuneja Parveen
Published: August 2021

Wheat, one of the major cereal crops worldwide, get adversely affected by rising global temperature. We have identified the diploid B genome progenitor of wheat, Aegilops speltoides (SS), as a potential donor for heat stress tolerance. Therefore, the objective of the present work was to study the total transcriptome profile of Ae. speltoides accession pau3809 and compare with that of tetraploid and hexaploid wheat cultivars PDW274 and PBW725, respectively. The comparative transcriptome was utilized to identify and validate heat stress transcription factors (HSFs), the key genes involved in imparting heat stress tolerance. Transcriptome analysis led to the identification of a total of 74K, 68K, and 76K genes in AS3809, PDW274, and PBW725, respectively. There was a high uniformity of GO profiles under the biological, molecular, and cellular functions across the three wheat transcriptomes, suggesting the conservation of gene function. Twelve HSFs with the highest FPKM value in the Ae. speltoides transcriptome data were selected and six of these HSFs namely HSFA3, HSFA5, HSFA9, HSFB2a, HSFC1b, and HSFB2b were validated with qRT PCR. These six HSFs were identified as an important component of thermotolerance in Ae. speltoides as evident from their comparative higher expression under heat stress.
Substance Use and Associated Factors Among Medical Students at the University of Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia
Authors: Aragie Yonas Sisay , Chanie Gashaw Sisay , Woldekiros Haddis Birhanu , Shibe Biniam Siyum , Kassa Getahun Molla
Published: August 2021

BackgroundThe use of substances such as cigarettes, alcohol, and khat has become the rising major public health and socioeconomic problems and more exercised in higher education students. This study was aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of substance use among medical students at the University of Gondar, Ethiopia.MethodA cross-sectional study was employed among medical students at the University of Gondar in the year 2020. All intern and above medical students were recurred and interviewed by using a self-administered questionnaire. Binary logistic regression was used to identify associated factors of current substance use at a p. value < 0.05 in the multivariable model to declare a significant dependent variable.ResultsOut of 277 responded to the interview 91 students (33%, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 27, 38) were current substance users. Enjoyment (39%) was a major reason for starting substance use. Addiction (82%), liver injury (87%), and lung cancer (87%) were the primary mentioned health risks of khat, alcohol, and cigarettes, respectively. Students age (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) =1.26, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.6), friend/s substance use history (AOR=6.09, 95% CI: 2.29, 16.2), and students with parents history of substance use (AOR=2.36, 95% CI: 1.14, 4.88) were factors significantly associated with the substance use.ConclusionOne-third of medical students at the University of Gondar were current substance users. Students with increasing age and those who have proximity with peoples who use substances were the independent positively associated factors for substance use.
Antimicrobial Prescription patterns in East Africa: A systematic Review
Authors: Acam Joan , Kuodi Paul , Medhin Girmay , Makonnen Eyasu
Published: August 2021

BackgroundAntimicrobial resistance is currently a recognised global health problem stemming from poor antibiotic stewardship by health workers and inappropriate antimicrobial use by patients. Data showing the extent of poor antimicrobial stewardship in low- and middle-income countries are scanty though high incidences of antimicrobial resistance are increasingly reported in many settings across the globe. The objective of the present study was, therefore, to evaluate prescriptions for antimicrobials in East Africa. MethodsA comprehensive literature search strategy that includes text words and medical subject headings was developed and applied to predefined electronic databases. Two authors independently screened the titles and abstracts of the outputs of the literature search. Full texts were then independently reviewed by the two researchers. Extracted data from included studies were pooled using meta-analysisResultsMajority of the included studies (30.8%) were retrieved from Ethiopia, followed by Sudan, Kenya and Tanzania each contributing 19.2%. The overall proportion of encounter with antimicrobials reported was 57% (95%CI 42%; 73%). Ethiopia had an overall patient encounter with antimicrobials of 63% [95%CI: 50%, 76%] followed by Sudan with an overall encounter with antimicrobials of 62% [95%CI: 34%, 85%]. Studies from Kenya reported the overall encounter with antimicrobials of 54% [95%CI: 15%, 90%], whereas studies from Tanzania reported an overall patient encounter with antimicrobials of 40% [95%CI: 21%, 60%]. ConclusionPrescription patterns demonstrated in this review significantly deviate from WHO recommendations suggesting inappropriate antimicrobial use in the East African countries. Further studies have to be pursued to generate more information on antimicrobial use in this region.
Retention of Knowledge and Skills in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Among Clinical and Intensive Care Professionals After Educational Intervention
Authors: de Araujo Nyagra Ribeiro , Moretti Miguel Antonio , de Araújo Raul Amaral , Chagas Antonio Carlos Palandri
Published: August 2021

Background: Health professionals are expected to be competent in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), thus requiring acquisition and maintenance of knowledge and practice. If time is an important factor associated with the loss of these competencies, acting in CPR situations more frequently may contribute to greater retention. Thus, this study aimed to compare the retention of knowledge and skills in CPR among health professionals in clinical and intensive care after educational intervention. Methods: Intervention, prospective and analytical study. Nursing professionals from the clinical care unit (CCU) and intensive care unit (ICU) received a first theoretical and practical CPR training, called T1, and a retraining nine months later, called T2, being followed for a total period of 18 months. The comparison of the percentage score of knowledge and practice between the evaluations was made by the Wilcoxon test and Friedman's test, considered significant for p<0.05. Results: 56 professionals participated in all stages of the study, 34 CCU professionals and 22 ICU professionals. Soon after T1, the ICU group showed a greater ease of learning (p=0.032), which disappeared after T2, showing a leveling of the groups. Regarding skills, they also reduced with time in a similar way between groups. However, nine months after T2, even reducing practical skills, they were significantly higher in ICU professionals compared to those in the CCU (p=0.018). Knowledge retention nine months after T1 and T2 was similar between groups. However, nine months after T2 the ICU professionals were able to retain more practical skills in CPR (p=0.030). Conclusions: The retraining improved knowledge in both groups in a similar way, but the ICU group retained more practical skills, reinforcing the thesis that a higher frequency of action in CPR situations favors the retention of skills.
Radiolytic Synthesis and Characterization of Selenium Nanoparticles: Comparative Biosafety Evaluation with Selenite and Ionizing Radiation
Authors: Pereira Alline Gomes , Gerolis Luanai Graziele Luquini , Gonçalves Letícia Satler , Moreira Luciana Mara Costa , Gastelois Pedro Lana , Neves Maria José
Published: August 2021

Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) were synthesized by irradiating a solution containing sodium selenite (Se+4) as the precursor in YPG liquid medium with gamma-rays. Spherical particles were formed after reactions of sodium selenite with hydrated electrons (eaq-) and hydrogen radicals (H•) produced following water radiolysis. No hazardous reducing agents were employed. The obtained nanoparticles were morphologically characterized, and their physicochemical and structural parameters were analyzed. SeNPs characterization showed all selenium in the Se0 state. We incubated Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells with the SeNPs for 24 h and then challenged the cells with ionizing radiation. After radiation exposure, cells were assessed for cell viability, lipid peroxidation, protein carbonylation, free radical generation, and total sulfhydryl content. The synthesized SeNPs were considered safe and less toxic at the concentration employed than the same selenite concentration. Except for the protein carbonylation results, there were no other significant modifications in viability or the oxidative stress parameters in SeNP-treated cells. It was concluded that 1 mM of the synthesized SeNPs does not trigger oxidative stress. Furthermore, we verified that SeNPs attenuate the reactive oxygen species generation after in vitro ionizing radiation exposure. These observations open up tremendous possibilities for radiosensitizer development.
The Impact of Blastocyst Grade on Singleton Birthweight in Fresh Transplanted Cycles
Authors: Shi Qiongyao , Shi Senlin , Song Wenyan , Zhao Feifei , Jin Haixia , Shi Hao , Yao Guidong , Liu Yan , Guo Yihong
Published: August 2021

Background: A retrospectively cohort study was performed to compare the birth weight of different blastocyst grades in fresh transplantation cycle and explore the related factors affecting the birth weight. Methods: The 1301 fresh cycles of single blastocyst transplantation and single live birth profile were analyzed,four groups were divided according to the grade of transplanted blastocyst. There are 170 cycles in group A with AA blastocyst grade, 312 cycles in group B with AB/BA blastocyst grade, 559 cycles in group C with BB/CA/AC blastocyst grade and 260 cycles in group D with BC/CB blastocyst grade. Comparison were made among four groups of birth weight, general conditions, fertilization rate, embryo rate, cleavage rate and D5,D6 blastocyst formation rate and other laboratory indicators. And then comparison were performed among the birth weight of different groups which were divided by the degree of blastocyst expansion, and the classification of inner cell mass(ICM) and the trophectoderm(TE). Results: The study shows that the birth weight of group A is significantly higher than that of the other three groups (P < 0.05). And the high quality embryo rate and blastocyst rate of group A are significantly higher than those of the other three groups (P < 0.05). What’s more, the clinical pregnancy rate, implantation rate and live birth rate of high grade blastocyst are higher, but there are no significant difference in abortion rate. The birth weight of the degree of blastocyst expansion in grade 3 and below is significantly lower than that of those with grade 3 and above (P < 0.05). The birth weight of grade A of ICM is significantly higher than that of grade B (P < 0.05). The birth weight of grade B of TE is significantly heavier than that of grade C (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Our results indicate that high grade blastocyst transplantation can achieve better pregnancy outcome. Different blastocyst grades affect birth weight, and low grade blastocyst transplantation is associated with a single birth weight loss.
Integration of Transcriptomic and Proteomic Profiles Identifies Potential Biomarkers in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Authors: Zheng Peiyan , Sun Shixue , Wang Jingxian , Cheng Zhangkai Jason , Lei Kuan Cheok , Xue Mingshan , Zhang Teng , Huang Huimin , Zhang Xiaohua Douglas , Sun Baoqing
Published: August 2021

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an interstitial lung disease characterized by chronic progressive pulmonary fibrosis and a poor prognosis. Till now, no studies have been reported on revealing mechanisms and identifying biomarkers by integratively analyzing transcriptome and proteomes of IPF patients. Here we examined the landscape of IPF patients' gene expression in the transcription and translation phases and investigated the expression and functions of two new potential biomarkers. Differentially expressed (DE) mRNAs were mainly enriched in pathways of immune system activities and inflammatory responses, while DE proteins are associated with extracellular matrix production and wound repair. The upregulated genes in both phases are associated with wound repair and cell differentiation, while the downregulated genes in both phases are associated with reduced immune activities and the damage of the alveolar tissues. On this basis, we identified thirteen potential marker genes. Among them, we validated the expression changes of BTNL9 and PLLP and investigated their functional pathways in the IPF mechanism. Both genes are downregulated in the tissues of IPF patients and Bleomycin-induced mice, and co-expression analysis indicates that they have a protective effect by inhibiting extracellular matrix production and promoting wound repair in alveolar epithelial cells.
Robust Immersion and Invariance Adaptive Synchronization Control With Disturbance Observer for Maglev Module With Output Constraint
Authors: Liu Jiaqi , Liu Xiangbin , Zhang Min
Published: August 2021

Magnetic levitation module is the key component of maglev train that generates the electromagnet force to bear the weight of the vehicle cabin. In this paper, the mathematical model of the levitation module is built as a two-input and two-output coupled system whose state variables include the vertical linear motion and the rotational motion around the mass center, which fully considers the mechanical coupling and force interference. To alleviate the variation of the module, a framework of robust immersion and invariance (I&I) adaptive synchronization control with disturbance observer is presented for the levitation module. To deal with the bad effects of parametric uncertainties and external disturbances on the system performance, especially on system outputs, we introduce Barrier Lyapunov Function (BLF) into controller to keep the outputs in the prescribed constraints. The robust I&I adaptation law is used to shape the converging procedure of the estimate errors of the parametric uncertainties. An extended disturbance observer is developed to recover the mismatched disturbances of the maglev module simultaneously. The stability analysis shows that all the signals in the closed-loop system are bounded and output constraints are not violated as well. The effectiveness of the proposed scheme is verified by a numerical simulations at last.
A Systematic Review Protocol: Barriers and Facilitators of Breast Cancer Screening Among Women in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Authors: Yakong Vida Nyagre , Afaya Agani , Alhassan Robert Kaba , Sang Somin , Mohammed Salia Solomon , Afaya Richard Adongo , Karim Jebuni Fuseini , Kuug Anthony , Selorm Daniels-Donkor Silas , Atakro Confidence Alorse , Akokre Renna , Adatara Peter , Ayanore Martin Amogre
Published: August 2021

Introduction: According to statistics released by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in December 2020, female breast cancer (BC) has overtaken lung cancer as the world's most commonly diagnosed cancer. It is estimated that by 2050 the prevalence rate of breast cancer in SSA will double. Breast cancer screening aims to reduce mortalities related to cancer, and morbidity associated with advanced stages of the disease, through early detection in asymptomatic women. This study aims to review and analyze empirical and grey literature on barriers and facilitators to breast cancer screening among women in SSA.Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) including Google scholar will be searched to identify published studies on barriers and facilitators to breast cancer screening from January 2010 to 2021. Two reviewers independently assessed the quality of all the included studies using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) version 2018.Conclusion: We envisage that this review will adduce evidence on common barriers and facilitators to BC screening in SSA. Identifying these barriers and facilitators will help guide the initialization of effective interventions that will improve BC screening uptake among women in SSA. This review will also guide future research in developing, implementing, and evaluating appropriate interventions tailored towards increasing BC screening uptake.Systematic review registration: Open Science Framework (OSF) registration DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/KY3PF
Incidence and Risk Factors of Acute Kidney Injury After Femoral Neck Fracture in Elderly Patients: A Retrospective Case-Control Study
Authors: Zhan Sizheng , Xie Wenyong , Yang Ming , Zhang Dianying , Jiang Baoguo
Published: August 2021

Background: Hip fracture is highly associated with disability and consequently mortality in the elderly population. Postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) is not unusual and is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. We aimed to determining the incidence and potential risk factors for postoperative AKI in elderly patients with femoral neck fracture.Methods: We retrospectively evaluated patients over 65 years of age who had been subjected to surgery for femoral neck fracture at Peking University People's Hospital from January 2015 to December 2019. Demographic characteristics and potential risk factors were collected. AKI was defined according to the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes guidelines.Results: A total of 308 elderly patients with femoral neck fracture were included in the study. The overall incidence of postoperative AKI was 12% (37 cases). Through binary logistic regression analysis, adjusted for age, intraoperative blood loss and BMI, we identified that early postoperative albumin, perioperative average hemoglobin and intraoperative hypotension are independent risk factors for postoperative AKI. The model considering the three factors can improve accuracy of predicting the possibility of developing AKI.Conclusion: The incidence of postoperative AKI in elderly patients with femoral neck fracture was 12%. Independent risk factors included early postoperative albumin, perioperative average hemoglobin and intraoperative hypotension. Taking multiple possible factors into consideration can better predict the possibility of developing AKI after surgery for elderly patients.