bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The importance of diversified physical activities in early childhood for later fundamental movement skills and physical activity level: a seven-year longitudinal study
Authors: Melby Paulina S. , Elsborg Peter , Nielsen Glen , Lima Rodrigo A. , Bentsen Peter , Andersen Lars B.
Published: March 2021

Background: Research indicates that childhood fundamental movement skills (FMS) can predict physical activity (PA) later in life and it has been argued that frequently engaging in a wide diversity of physical activities will eventually improve children’s FMS. However, no longitudinal or experimental studies have confirmed this hypothesis. The aims of this study are to investigate the longitudinal associations between diversified physical activities at age six and later FMS and PA (age nine and 13). Furthermore, we explore to what extent the longitudinal association between diversified physical activity and PA is mediated by FMS.Methods: Longitudinal data from the Copenhagen School Intervention Studywere used for this analysis, where 704 participated (69% response rate). Diversified physical activity (self-reported), FMS (The Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder battery of postural stability and locomotor skills) and PA (accelerometer) were assessed in the children at age six, age nine and age 13. A total of 991 participated in at least one of the measure years. Two structural equation models were constructed, with diversified physical activity at age six and FMS and PA at age nine as predictors of PA and FMS at age 13. Results: The data from both models demonstrated good model fit. Diversified physical activity at six years of age was significantly associated with physical activity and FMS at age 13, when adjusting for sex, age, intervention, weight, height, and previous levels of PA and FMS. Diversified physical activity at age six was also positively associated with PA and FMS at age nine, which were, in turn, positively related to PA at age 13 but to a lesser degree than diversified PA at age six. The association between diversified physical activity at age six and PA at age 13 was not mediated by FMS at age nine. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that diversified physical activity at age six is important for the development of FMS and PA in adolescence. Increasing the diversity of children’s daily physical activities, not only the amount and intensity, seems important for future PA behavior and thereby health promotion in a life course perspective.
The Relationship Between Intralobar Pulmonary Sequestration and Type a Aortic Dissection: A Case Report
Authors: Lin Gang-Hua , Chen Ying Yi
Published: March 2021

Background: Pulmonary sequestrations often lead to serious complications such as infections, tuberculosis, fatal hemoptysis, cardiovascular problems, and even malignant degeneration, but it is rarely documented with medium and large vessel vasculitis, which is likely to result in acute aortic syndromes.Case presentation: A 44-year-old man with a history of acute Stanford type A aortic dissection status post-reconstructive surgery five years ago. The contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) of the chest at that time had also revealed an intralobar pulmonary sequestration in the left lower lung region, and the angiography also presented perivascular changes with mild mural thickening and wall enhancement, which indicated mild vasculitis. The intralobar pulmonary sequestration in the left lower lung region was long-term unprocessed, which was probably associated with his intermittent chest tightness since no specific medical findings were detected but only positive sputum culture with mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex and Aspergillus. We performed uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery with wedge resection of the left lower lung. Hypervascularity over the parietal pleura, engorgement of the bronchus due to a moderate amount of mucus, and firm adhesion of the lesion to the thoracic aorta were histopathologically noticed.Conclusion: We hypothesized that a long-term pulmonary sequestration-related bacterial and fungal infection can result in focal infectious aortitis gradually, which may threateningly contribute to aortic dissection.
Job Preferences of Undergraduate Pharmacy Students in China: A Discrete Choice Experiment
Authors: Liu Ping , Liu Shimeng , Gong Tiantian , Li Quan , Chen Gang , Li Shunping
Published: March 2021

Background: Pharmacists are a crucial part of the health workforce and playing important role in achieving universal health coverage. In China, pharmaceutical human resources are in short and the distribution is unequal. This study aimed to identify the key job characteristics that influence the job preferences of undergraduate pharmacy students and to elicit the relative importance of different job characteristics to shed lights on future policy intervention.Methods: A discrete choice experiment was conducted to elicit the job preferences of undergraduate pharmacy students from 6 provinces in mainland China. A face-to-face interview was used to collect data. Conditional logit and mixed logit models were used to analyze data and the final model was chosen according to the model fit statistics. A series of policy simulation was also conducted.Results: In total, 581 respondents completed the questionnaire and 500 respondents who passed the internal consistency test were analyzed. All attributes were statistically significant except for open management. Monthly income and work location were most important to respondents, followed by work unit (which refers to the nature of workplace) and years to promotion. There exists preference heterogeneity among respondents, e.g. male students preferred open management and female students preferred a job in private institutions. Furthermore, students with an urban background or from a single-child family placed higher values on a job in the city as compared to their counterparts. Conclusion: The heterogeneity of attributes showed the complexity of job preferences. Both monetary and non-monetary job characteristics significantly influenced the job preferences of pharmacy students in China. A more effective policy intervention to attact graduates to work in rural areas should consider both incentives on the job itself as well as the background of pharmacy school graduates.
Effect of high frequency oscillatory ventilation combined with pulmonary surfactant in the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome after cardiac surgery: a prospective randomized controlled trail
Authors: Zheng Yi-Rong , Lei Yu-Qing , Liu Jian-Feng , Wu Hong-Lin , Xu Ning , Huang Shu-Ting , Cao Hua , Chen Qiang
Published: March 2021

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of pulmonary surfactant (PS) combined with high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) or conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) in infants with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) after congenital cardiac surgery.Method: A total of 61 infants with ARDS were eligible and were randomized to the CMV + PS group (n= 30) or the HFOV + PS group (n= 31) between January 2020 and December 2020. The primary outcomes were the improvement of the arterial blood gas analysis. The incidence of mechanical ventilation duration, length of hospitalization, and the incidence of complications were considered as secondary outcomes.Results: A total of 61 infants completed the study. In HFOV + PS group, the blood gas analysis results were significantly improved (P<0.05), while, duration of mechanical ventilation and length of hospitalization were shorter than CMV + PS group (P<0.05). But the incidences of complications had no statistical significance between the two groups (P>0.05).Conclusions: Compared with the CMV + PS group, HFOV + PS significantly improved the ABG variables and shortened the length of hospitalization and mechanical ventilation in infants with ARDS after cardiac surgery.
The Feasibility of Combining Brain Radiation and Fingolimod in Healthy Rodents and in Humans With Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma
Authors: Grossman Stuart A. , Piotrowski Anna , Jackson Dvone , Nirschl Thomas , Velarde Esteban , Wong John , Drake Charles , Ye Xiaobu
Published: March 2021

PURPOSE: Severe and long-lasting lymphopenia occurs in 40% of patients with malignant gliomas and is associated with inferior survival. Inadvertent irradiation of circulating lymphocytes is a major contributor to this lymphopenia. Fingolimod causes striking but reversible lymphopenia by sequestering circulating lymphocytes in lymphoid tissues. Fingolimod could potentially reduce iatrogenic immunosuppression by decreasing the number of lymphocytes in circulation during radiation. However, combining radiation with fingolimod should result in severe lymphopenia. These pilot studies were conducted to determine the safety of this approach in mice and humans. METHODS: Ten BALB/c mice received focal brain irradiation (4Gy x 10 fractions). Half of the mice received intraperitoneal fingolimod (3mg/kg) before and during the two weeks of radiation. Five patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma were given fingolimod one week prior to and during the six weeks of concurrent radiation and temozolomide. RESULTS: Mice treated with fingolimod and radiation had more severe lymphopenia than those treated with radiation alone. However, lymphocyte counts and weight loss recovered similarly in both treatment cohorts and no added toxicities were noted. Humans receiving fingolimod developed severe lymphopenia which deepened when radiation and temozolomide were initiated. This was well tolerated and no grade III-IV opportunistic infections were noted. CONCLUSIONS: These pilot studies demonstrate the feasibility and safety of combining fingolimod with radiation in mice and humans. This novel approach to reducing the number of circulating lymphocytes exposed to radiation deserves further study given the importance of the host immune system on cancer survival and response to immunologic interventions.
The Potential Beneficial Effect of Levosimendan in Milrinone-treated Advanced Heart Failure Patients
Authors: Milwidsky Assi , Frydman Shir , Laufer-Perl Michal , Sadeh Ben , Sapir Orly , Granot Yoav , Hochstadt Aviram , Korotetski Liuba , Ketchker Liora , Topilsky Yan , Banai Shmuel , Havakuk Ofer
Published: March 2021

Background

Routine, short-term use of inotropic agents is still applied in advanced heart failure (HF) patients either as a bridge to definitive treatment or as a mean to improve quality of life, despite the paucity of scientific evidence. Intermittent levosimendan was shown to be efficacious compared to placebo in advanced HF patients, however no prospective data comparing it to other inotropes and in particular, to milrinone are available. We aimed to assess the clinical effects of intermittent levosimendan in a small group of milrinone-treated advanced HF patients.
Methods

This was a prospective, un-blinded study. Consecutive ambulatory advanced HF patients intermittently treated with ≥ 4 cycles of once-weekly 6-hours 0.25–0.5 mg/kg/min milrinone at our HF outpatient clinic, were switched to levosimendan. All patients were evaluated using B-natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels, echocardiography, cardio-pulmonary exercise test and HF questionnaire before and after 4 weeks of intermittent once-weekly 6-hours therapy with levosimendan 0.1–0.2 mcg/kg/min.
Results

The cohort included 11 patients, 10 men, mean age 76±12 years. After 4 weeks of levosimendan therapy, Vo2 max improved by a mean of 2.28 ml/kg [95% CI -0.22-3.38, p = 0.05], BNP levels decreased from a median of 1015 ng/l [261–1035] to 719 ng/l [294–739], (p < 0.01) and the sum scores of EQ-5D-5L non-significantly improved by a median of 2 points [95% CI -4.17-0.37, p = 0.09]. On echocardiography, tricuspid annulus tissue Doppler increased by an average of 3 cm/s [95% CI 0.16–2.10, p = 0.03]. In addition, HF-related hospitalizations numerically decreased after switching to levosimendan.
Conclusion

In this small-scale, prospective study, we observed improvement in laboratory, echocardiographic and exercise capacity parameters in milrinone-treated advanced HF patients who were switched to levosimendan.
Environmentally Friendly Geopolymer Building Material: Production, Determination of Physical-Mechanical-Radiation Absorption Properties and Mathematical Model Approach
Authors: DOGAN-SAGLAMTIMUR Neslihan , Bilgil Ahmet , Ertürk Sefa , Bozkurt Vakkas , Süzgeç Elif , Akan Arife Gözde , Nas Pervin , Dikkaya Betül , Çetin Hüseyin
Published: March 2021

Waste ashes and radiation cause important environmental and health problems. Therefore, reduction of their amount is vital. In this study, physical-mechanical and radiation absorption (RA) properties of eco-friendly alkali (NaOH and Na2SiO3) activated geopolymer building material (GPBM) produced by using the industrial solid waste class F fly ashes (FFAs) are determined. The FFAs were supplied from thermal power plants operating in Zonguldak and Adana (Turkey). The sieve analysis, loose/tight unit weight and loss on ignition analysis of the FFAs was conducted. Different FFAs and alkali activator amounts were used for making GPBMs. After thermal curing in a laboratory oven at 70 °C and 100 °C, the produced GPBMs were kept to cool off to room temperature. Afterwards, compressive and flexural strengths, water absorption, porosity tests and RA measurements were performed. Influence of several parameters (FFA types, curing temperature and alkali ratios) on the RA properties of GPBM is discussed in this paper. According to the mathematical model developed in this study, the effect of FFAs supplied from different TPPs onto RA (%) is an important issue. Because FFA quantity causes to increase RA (%) with respect to the composed mathematical model. The FFA-based GPBMs, which have a compressive strength of more than 30 MPa, have higher radiation absorption (>12%) than ordinary Portland cement-based conventional building materials (9.52%). The highest compressive strength and RA percentage were measured as 93.3 MPa and 12.54%, respectively, for the GPBMs that are (properly) suited for the construction sector.
OSM-DSSE: A Searchable Encryption Scheme with Hidden Search Patterns and Access Patterns
Authors: Liu Hong , Li Xueqin , Guo Erchuan , Xiao Yunpeng , Li Tun
Published: March 2021

Dynamic searchable encryption methods allow a client to perform searches and updates over encrypted data stored in the cloud. However, existing researches show that the general dynamic searchable symmetric encryption (DSSE) scheme is vulnerable to statistical attacks due to the leakage of search patterns and access patterns, which is detrimental to protecting the users’ privacy. Although the traditional Oblivious Random Access Machine (ORAM) can hide the access pattern, it also incurs significant communication overhead and cannot hide the search pattern. These limitations make it difficult to deploy the ORAM method in real cloud environments. To overcome this limitation, a DSSE scheme called obliviously shuffled incidence matrix DSSE (OSM-DSSE) is proposed in this paper to access the encrypted data obliviously. The OSM-DSSE scheme realizes efficient search and update operations based on an incidence matrix. In particular, a shuffling algorithm using Paillier encryption is combined with 1-out-of-n obliviously transfer (OT) protocol and local differential privacy to obfuscate the search targets. Besides, a formalized security analysis and performance analysis on the proposed scheme is provided, which indicates that the OSM-DSSE scheme achieves high security, efficient searches, and low storage overhead. Also, this scheme not only completely hides the search and access patterns but also provides adaptive security against malicious attacks by adversaries. Furthermore, experimental results show that the OSM-DSSE scheme obtains 3-4x better execution efficiency than the state-of-art solutions.
Co-production of biopolymers and quinone via no-sugar fermentation--a case by Methylobacterium sp. XJLM
Authors: Cui Peiwu , Shao Yunhai , Wang Yanxin , Zhao Rui , Zhan Huihui , Zhong Weihong
Published: March 2021

Purpose

To explore a competitive PHB producing fermentation process, this study evaluated the potential for Methylobacterium sp. XJLW to produce simultaneously PHB and coenzyme Q 10 (CoQ 10 ) using cheap and abundant methanol as sole carbon and energy source.

Methods

The metabolic pathways of PHB and CoQ 10 biosynthesis in XJLW strain were first mined based on the genomic and comparative transcriptomics information. Then, Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was employed for comparing the expression level of important genes involved in PHB and CoQ10 synthesis pathways response to methanol and glucose. Transmission electron microscope (TEM), gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier transformation infrared spectrum (FT-IR), and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC-MS) methods, were used to elucidate the yield and structure of PHB and CoQ 10 , respectively. PHB and CoQ 10 productivity of XJLW strain were evaluated in flasks for medium optimization, and in a 5-L bioreactor for methanol fed-batch strategy according to dissolved oxygen (DO) and pH control.

Results

Comparative genomics and transcriptomics analysis showed that the PHB and CoQ 10 biosynthesis pathways coexist in XJLW strain, and the transcription level of key genes in both pathways response to methanol was significantly higher than that response to glucose. Correspondingly, strain XJLW can produce PHB and CoQ 10 simultaneously with higher yield using cheap and abundant methanol than using glucose as sole carbon and energy source. The isolated products showed the structure characteristics same to that of standard PHB and CoQ 10 . The optimal medium and cultural conditions for PHB and CoQ 10 co-production by XJLW strain was in M3 medium containing 1% (v/v) of methanol, 0.5 g/L of ammonium sulfate, 0.1% (v/v) of Tween 80, and 1.0 g/L of sodium chloride, under 30°C and pH 7.0. In a 5-L bioreactor coupled with methanol fed-batch process, a maximum DCW value (46.31 g/L) with the highest yields of PHB and CoQ 10 , reaching 6.94 g/L and 22.28 mg/L, respectively.

Conclusion

Methylobacterium sp. XJLW is potential for efficiently co-producing PHB and CoQ 10 employing methanol as sole carbon and energy source. However, it is still necessary to further optimize fermentation process, and genetically modify strain pathway, for enhanced production of PHB and CoQ 10 simultaneously by XJLW. It also suggests a potential strategy to develop efficiently co-producing other high value metabolites using methanol-based bio-process.
Differential inflammation-mediated function of prokineticin 2 in the synovial fibroblasts of patients with rheumatoid arthritis compared to osteoarthritis
Authors: Noda Kentaro , Dufner Bianca , Ito Haruyasu , Yoshida Ken , Balboni Gianfranco , Straub Rainer
Published: March 2021

Prokineticin 2 (PK2) is a secreted protein involved in several pathological and physiological processes, including the regulation of inflammation, sickness behaviors, and the circadian rhythm. Recently, it was reported that PK2 is associated with the pathogenesis of collagen-induced arthritis in mice. However, whether PK2 influences the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or osteoarthritis (OA) remains unknown. In this study, we collected synovial tissue, plasma, synovial fluid, and fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) from RA and OA patients to analyze the role of PK2 using immunohistochemistry, ELISAs, and tissue superfusion studies. PK2 and its receptors prokineticin receptor (PKR) 1 and 2 were expressed in RA and OA synovial tissues. PKR1 expression in RA synovial tissue was downregulated compared with OA synovial tissue. The PK2 concentration was higher in RA synovial fluid than in OA synovial fluid but similar between RA and OA plasma. PK2 suppressed the production of IL-6 from TNFα-prestimulated OA-FLS, and this effect was attenuated in TNFα-prestimulated RA-FLS. This phenomenon was accompanied by the upregulation of PKR1 in OA-FLS and the downregulation of PK2 and PKR1 in RA-FLS. This study provides a new model to explain some aspects underlying the chronicity of inflammation in RA.
Exploring Traditional Veterinary Practices from Gujjar and Bakarwal Tribes of District Poonch, Jammu & Kashmir: A Boon for Animals from Our Ancestors
Authors: Dutta Abhishek , Singh Kanwaljeet , Singh Bikarma , Sharma Yash Pal
Published: March 2021

Background: Gujjar and Bakarwal tribal communities are a treasure trove of traditional veterinary knowledge as they have been using plants to keep their livestock healthy and free from diseases. However, this knowledge is getting diminished day by day due to several factors. The present study was aimed to survey and document the medicinal plants used traditionally by the tribal communities of Gujjar and Bakarwal in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), India to treat various livestock ailments.Methods: A systematic and extensive ethnobotanical survey was conducted in 12 villages of district Poonch between July 2018-March 2020. Data was gathered from the tribals using semi-structured questionnaires and analysed quantitatively using use-value(UV), relative frequency of citation (RFC), informant consensus factor (ICF) and fidelity level (FL).Results: A total of 31 medicinal plant species belonging to 24 families of 30 genera with herbs as the dominantly used plant species (70.97%). The most commonly used plant part in the herbal preparations was root (35.14%) and leaf (32.43%) with oral administration as the mode. Consensus methodology has been used as a statistical tool to identify the most potentially effective medicinal plant species. Use-value and Relative frequency of citation were reported to be in the range of 0.03-0.72 and 0.03-0.48 respectively. Based on values, Rumex nepalensis was found to be the most important and dominant species used by the tribes. The reported Informant consensus factor value was found to be very high (0.81-1.00) thereby establishing more authenticity of the study. Maximum number of plant species (10 spp.) were used to treat the gynaecological/ andrological problems.Conclusion: In the present study, novel ethnoveterinary use for seven plant species viz., Aconitum violaceum, Arisaema jacquemontii, Bistorta amplexicaulis, Clematis grata, Ranunculus bulbosus, Ulmus villosa and Viburnum grandiflorum were recorded. The reported information can be used to standardize active principles which can further lead to the development of more efficient veterinary medicines.
The Effect of Beta-Blockers on Hemodynamic Parameters in Patient-Specific Blood Flow Simulations of Type-B Aortic Dissection: An Virtual Study
Authors: Abazari Mohammad Amin , Rafieianzab Deniz , Soltani M. , Alimohammadi Mona
Published: March 2021

Type-B aortic dissection (AD) is one of the greatest complex and fatal conditions with co-occurring disorders, challenging to treat. The initial treatment for patients presenting with AD is medical intervention to stabilize the condition. In the present study, a patient-specific geometry of type-B AD is generated from computed tomography images, and a three-element Windkessel lumped parameter model is implemented at the outlets to realistic boundary conditions. According to the physiological response of the antihypertensive drugs in the reduction of aortic blood flow and heart rate, three case studies with different heart rates have been created. Hemodynamic distributions including wall shear stress indicators, velocity and pressure are investigated and compared in each model. Results show that there is a considerable reduction in pressure furthermore, time-averaged wall shear stress (TAWSS) values decreased by 25% and 30%, respectively. Main goal is to critically analysis the use of biomechanical and computational simulation tools to measure hemodynamic parameters in the absence and presence of antihypertensive drugs. It would be of significant use to clinicians to improve diagnostic and treatment planning.
Relationship between the Japanese-style diet, gut microbiota, and dementia: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Saji Naoki , Tsuduki Tsuyoshi , Murotani Kenta , Hisada Takayoshi , Sugimoto Taiki , Kimura Ai , Niida Shumpei , Toba Kenji , Sakurai Takashi
Published: March 2021

Background
Previous studies have shown associations between the gut microbiota, microbial metabolites, and cognitive decline. However, the effect of the dietary composition on such associations has not been fully investigated.
Methods
We performed a cross-sectional sub-analysis of data from our prospective hospital-based cohort study (the Gimlet study) to evaluate the relationships between dietary composition, cognitive decline, and the gut microbiota. All the participants of the Gimlet study had been provided with information regarding this sub-study in 2018. Patients were excluded if they were unable to provide sufficient data in the questionnaire regarding their dietary composition. We assessed their demographics, dietary composition, risk factors, cognitive function, results of brain imaging, gut microbiome, and microbial metabolites. On the basis of previous studies, a nine-component traditional Japanese diet index (JDI9), a 12-component modern JDI (JDI12), and a 12-component revised JDI (rJDI12), were defined. Higher JDI scores indicated greater conformity to the traditional Japanese diet. We then evaluated the relationships between the JDI scores, cognitive function, and the gut microbiome and microbial metabolites using multivariable logistic regression analyses.
Results
We analyzed data from 85 eligible patients (61% women; mean age: 74.6 ± 7.4 years; mean Mini-Mental State Examination score: 24 ± 5). Compared with participants with dementia, those without dementia were more likely to consume foods in the JDI12, including fish and shellfish (64.5% vs. 39.1%, P = 0.048), mushrooms (61.3% vs. 30.4%, P = 0.015), soybeans and soybean-derived foods (62.9% vs. 30.4%, P = 0.013), and coffee (71.0% vs. 43.5%, P = 0.024). There were non-significant trends towards lower fecal concentrations of gut microbial metabolites in participants with a more traditional Japanese diet. Participants with dementia had lower JDI9, JDI12, and rJDI12 scores than participants without dementia (dementia vs. non-dementia, median JDI9 score: 5 vs. 7, P = 0.049; JDI12: 7 vs. 8, P = 0.017; and rJDI12: 7 vs. 9, P = 0.006, respectively).
Conclusions
Adherence to a traditional Japanese diet was found to be inversely associated with cognitive decline and tended to be associated with lower concentrations of gut microbial metabolites.
Trial registration:
UMIN000031851.
Novel coronavirus seropositivity and related factors among healthcare workers at a university hospital: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Ogutlu Aziz , Karabay Oguz , Erkorkmaz Unal , Guclu Ertugrul , Sen Seher , Aydin Abdulkadir , Koroglu Mehmet
Published: March 2021

Background

In this study, it is aimed to investigate the specific risk factors for the transmission of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) among healthcare workers in different campuses of a university hospital and to reveal the risk factors for antibody positivity.
Methods

In this cross-sectional study, 2988 (82%) of 3620 healthcare workers in a university hospital participated. The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) antibody was investigated by taking serum to the healthcare workers who accepted for the COVID-19 antibody test.
The antibody test results of the
participants were evaluated according to the campus they work,
their profession and their workplace.

Statistical significance level was accepted as p < 0.05 in all analyzes.
Results

Of the antibody test results of the participants in this study, 108 (3.6%) were positive and 2880 (96.4%) were negative. Antibody positivity were higher in nurses than in other healthcare workers (p < 0.001). When examined according to work places, antibody positivity was higher in those working in intensive care compared to those working in other places (p < 0.001).
Conclusions

Healthcare workers are at the highest risk of being infected with COVID-19. Those who have a higher risk of infection among healthcare workers and those working in high-risk areas should be vaccinated early and take care to work with personal protective equipment during the pandemic period.
Trial Registration:

Retrospective permission was obtained
from both the local ethics committee and the Turkish Ministry of
Health for this study.
(IRB No:71522473/050.01.04/370, Date: 05.20.2020
Structural Insights into the Allosteric site of Arabidopsis NADP-Malic Enzyme 2: Role of the Second Sphere Residues in the Regulatory Signal Transmission
Authors: Wheeler Mariel Claudia Gerrard , Arias Cintia Lucía , Mello Juliana Juliana da Fonseca Rezende e , Diaz Nuria Cirauqui , Rodrigues Carlos Rangel , Drincovich María Fabiana , de Souza Alessandra Mendonça Teles , Alvarez Clarisa Ester
Published: March 2021

Structure-function studies contribute to deciphering how small modifications in the primary structure could introduce desirable characteristics into enzymes without affecting its overall functioning. Malic enzymes (ME) are ubiquitous and responsible for a wide variety of functions. The availability of a high number of ME crystal structures from different species facilitates comparisons between sequence and structure. Specifically, the structural determinants necessary for fumarate allosteric regulation of ME has been of particular interest. NADP-ME2 from Arabidopsis thaliana exhibits a distinctive and complex regulation by fumarate, acting as an activator or an inhibitor according to substrate and effector concentrations. However, the 3D structure for this enzyme is not yet reported. In this work, we characterized the NADP-ME2 allosteric site by structural modeling, molecular docking, normal mode analysis and mutagenesis. The regulatory site model and its docking analysis suggested that other C4 acids including malate, NADP-ME2 substrate, could also fit into fumarate’s pocket. Besides, a non-conserved cluster of hydrophobic residues in the second sphere of the allosteric site was identified. The substitution of one of those residues, L62, by a less flexible residue as tryptophan, resulted in a complete loss of fumarate activation and a reduction of substrate affinities for the active site. In addition, normal mode analysis indicated that conformational changes leading to the activation could originate in the region surrounding L62, extending through the allosteric site till the active site. Finally, the results in this work contribute to the understanding of structural determinants necessary for allosteric regulation providing new insights for enzyme optimization.
A Numerical Strategy to Identify the FSW Process Optimal Parameters of a Butt-Welded Joint of Quasi-Pure Copper Plates: Modelling and Experimental Validation
Authors: IORDACHE Monica Daniela , BADULESCU Claudiu , DIAKHATE Malick , CONSTANTIN Adrian , NITU Eduard Laurentiu , DEMMOUCHE Younes , DHONDT Matthieu , NEGREA Denis
Published: March 2021

Determining the optimal parameters of the Friction Stir Welding (FSW) process, which are suitable for a given joint configuration, remains a great challenge and is often achieved through extremely time-consuming and costly experimental investigations. The present paper aims to propose a strategy for the identification of the optimal parameters for a butt-welded joint of 3-mm thick quasi-pure copper plates. This strategy is based on FEM (finite elements method) simulations and the optimal temperature that is supposedly known. A robust and efficient finite element model that is based on the Coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian (CEL) approach has been adopted and a temperature-dependent friction coefficient has been used. Besides, the mass scaling technique has been used to significantly reduce the simulation time. The thermo-mechanical behavior of the butt-welded joint was modeled using a Johnson-Cook plasticity model that was identified through lab tests at different temperatures. The results of the parametric study help to define the numerical surface response, and based on this latter one can found the optimal parameters, advancing (υa) and rotational (υr) speeds, of the FSW process. This numerical surface response has been validated with good agreement between the numerical prediction of the model and the experimental results. Furthermore, experimental investigations involving x-ray radiography, digital image correlation method, and fracture surface analysis have helped a better understanding of the effects of FSW parameters on the welded joint quality.
Heterogeneity in Prevalence of Bovine Trypanosomosis and its Associated Risk Factors in Pastoral and Agro Pastoral Communities Surrounding Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda.
Authors: Kizza Daniel , Ocaido Michael , Mugisha Anthony , Azuba Rose , Nalule Sarah , Onyuth Howard , Musinguzi Simon Peter , Okwasiimire Rodney , Waiswa Charles
Published: March 2021

Background: Bovine trypanosomosis transmitted by tsetse flies is a major constraint to cattle health and productivity in sub- Saharan countries including Uganda. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of bovine trypanosomosis and its associated risk factors and the species of trypanosomes associated with the disease.Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted around Murchision Falls National Park, Uganda from January 2020 to April 2020. Blood samples were collected from 460 cattle and were screened for trypanosomes using ITS-PCR. Results: From 460 samples collected, 136 (29.6%) of the samples were positive for trypanosomosis infections while 324 (70.4%) samples were negative. The overall trypanosome prevalence was 29.6% (95% CI 25.4-33.8). T. vivax (n = 130, 28.3%) was the most prevalent trypanosome specie detected and two mixed infection types (T.vivax + T. congolense (n = 2, 0.4%) and T.vivax + T. brucei (n = 1.0, 0.2%) were detected during the analysis. There was a significant difference when Trypanosome prevalence was compared with sex, age, breed of the sampled animals (P < 0.05 for sex), (P = 0.0043 for age) and (P = 0.001 for breed). Conclusion; Trypanosomosis is still a major limitation to cattle production around Murchision Falls National Park and interventions are urgently needed .The prevalence of trypanosomosis was high and T.vivax was identified as the major trypanosome species in the cattle herd.
Metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses of Prunus davidiana reveal the key resistance compound to green peach aphid, betulin
Authors: Wang Junxiu , Li Yong , Wang Xinwei , Cao Ke , Zhu Gengrui , Fang Weichao , Chen Changwen , Wu Jinlong , Guo Jian , Xu Qiang , Wang Lirong
Published: March 2021

Prunus davidiana, a close wild relative of the cultivated peach, has been identified as having a strong resistance to Myzus persicae Sülzer (green peach aphid, GPA), one of the major pests of peach. However, the resistance mechanism of P. davidiana remains unclear. In this study, combined analysis of metabolome and transcriptome was conducted using aphid-resistant (R-32) and aphid-susceptible (S-27) lines, from a segregating population, to investigate the defense mechanism of P. davidiana. These results showed that R-32 continuously accumulated higher levels of betulin than S-27 during aphid infestation. Besides, betulin displayed a strong toxic effect on GPA. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the expression of genes involved in the betulin biosynthesis pathway responded highly to GPA infestation, especially CYP716A1. Our results demonstrate that betulin play an important role in the mechanism of resistance of P. davidiana to GPA.
A Novel Technology for Processing Urban Waste Compost as a Fast-Releasing Nitrogen Source to Improve Soil Properties and Broccoli and Lettuce Production
Authors: de Nobile Fabio Olivieri , Hurtado Alexander Calero , Prado Renato de Mello , de Souza Henrique Antunes , Anunciação Maria Gabriela , Palaretti Luiz Fabiano , Dezem Leticia Ane Sizuki Nociti
Published: March 2021

Purpose: This study evaluated nitrogen (N) mineralization dynamics in three soils after the addition of heat-treated urban waste amendments or urban waste compost (UWC). The effects of UWC and urea on soil properties and broccoli and lettuce production were compared. Methods: The first N mineralization experiment was conducted in a factorial arrangement (4 × 3), as a randomized complete block design (RCBD), with three replicates. Four UWC doses: 12.5, 25.0, 37.5, and 50.0 mg dm-3 were applied to three soils: sandy Ustoxic Quartzipsamment (QS), intermediate-texture red Ultisol (US), and clayey red Oxisol (OS), during eight incubation periods (0, 7, 14, 28, 42, 56, 70, and 84 days). In the second experiment, the effects of UWC and urea fertilizer on soil properties were compared. The growth of broccoli and lettuce plants was evaluated (experiments 3 and 4). The treatments (Experiments 2–4) followed a factorial arrangement (4 × 2; RCBD; three replicates), using OS soil. Four N doses (as for experiment 1) were combined with two N sources (UWC and urea). Results: The processed UWC application proportionally increased the N mineralization rate by 72% in QS, 54% in US, and 66% in OS. Furthermore, UWC application enhanced soil properties (pH and nutrient availability), compared with urea fertilizer, and improved N uptake, resulting in higher fresh biomass production in broccoli and lettuce plants (50.0 and 37.5 mg dm-3, respectively). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that heat-treated UWC is an economical, viable, and efficient fertilizer to improve soil properties and short-cycle vegetable crop productivity.
COVID-19 vaccination intent and willingness to pay in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Mahmud Ilias , Chowdhury Mohammad Tawfique Hossain , Vinnakota Divya , Jahan Shah Saif , Apu Ehsanul Hoque , Siddika Nazeeba , Isha Samia Naz , Nath Sujan Kanti , Kabir Russell
Published: March 2021

Aim: This article reports the intent to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, its predictors and willingness to pay in Bangladesh. Subject and Methods: We did a cross-sectional survey of 697 adults in January 2021. A structured questionnaire was used to assess vaccination intent. Questionnaire included potential socio-demographic variables and health belief model constructs which may predict vaccination intent.Results: Among the participants, 25.5% demonstrated a definite intent, 43% probable intent, 24% probable negative, and 7.5% a definite negative intention. Multivariable logistic regression analyses suggest association between definite intent and previous COVID-19 infection (OR: 2.86; 95% CI: 1.71 – 4.78), perceiving COVID-19 as serious (OR: 1.93; 1.04 – 3.59), the belief that vaccination would make them feel less worried about COVID-19 (OR: 4.42; 2.25 – 8.68), and concerns about vaccine affordability (OR: 1.51; 1.01 – 2.25). Individuals afraid of the side effects (OR: 0.34; 0.21 – 0.53) and would take the vaccine if the vaccine were taken by many in public (OR: 0.44; 0.29 – 0.67) are less likely to have a definite intent. A definite negative intent is associated with the concern that the vaccine may not be halal (OR: 2.03; 1.04 – 3.96). 68.4% are willing to pay for vaccine. The median amount they are willing to pay is $7.08. Conclusion: Adequate monitoring to stop the spreading of misinformation, and further research work to understand challenges in making a new vaccine acceptable by the population are needed.
Automated Computed Tomography Lung Densitometry in Bronchiectasis Patients
Authors: Sawamura Marcio Valente Yamada , Athanazio Rodrigo Abensur , Nucci Maria Cecilia Nieves Teixeira Maiorano de , Rached Samia Zahi , Cukier Alberto , Stelmach Rafael , Junior Antonildes Nascimento Assunção , Takahashi Marcelo Straus , Nomura Cesar Higa
Published: March 2021

Rationale: Bronchiectasis is a complex and heterogeneous disease. Visual computed tomography (CT) scoring systems are used to assess disease severity, disease progression and predict outcomes in bronchiectasis although they have some limitations such as subjectivity, requirement of previous training and are time-consuming. Objective: To correlate quantitative CT lung densitometry measurements with pulmonary function test (PFT) and multidimensional prognostic scores in patients with bronchiectasis.Materials and methods: From 2014 to 2017, 100 consecutive adult patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis underwent inspiratory and expiratory volumetric chest CT and PFT (spirometry, plethysmograph, diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide measurement [DLCO]). Visual CT score (CF-CT score), CT lung densitometry parameters (kurtosis, skewness and expiratory/inspiratory mean lung density [E/I MLD]) and multidimensional prognostic scores (BSI and FACED) were calculated in all patients and correlated to PFT.Results: CT lung densitometry parameters (kurtosis and skewness), correlated with forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) (R=0.32; p=0.001 and R=0.34; p<0.001) and DLCO (R=0.41 and R=0.43; p<0.001). Automated CT air trapping quantification (E/I MLD) showed correlation with residual volume (RV), multidimensional score FACED (R=0.63 and R=0.53; p<0.001) and performed better than the CF-CT score in the diagnosis of high-risk patients and severe air trapping. Conclusion: CT lung densitometry parameters showed correlations with PFT in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis patients. Automated CT air trapping quantification performed better than visual CT score in the identification of high-risk patients and severe air trapping, suggesting it could be a useful tool in the evaluation of these patients, although further studies are needed to confirm these findings.
The rebound of platelet count could be a predictor of good prognosis of sepsis in the intensive care unit: a retrospective analysis of the large clinical database MIMIC-III
Authors: Huang Fa , Xu Jinghong , Tong Li , Hu Xiaoguang , Lui Ka Yin , Zhu Yanping , Li Shuhe , Cai Changjie
Published: March 2021

Background: The rise of platelets in sepsis patients with thrombocytopenia can lead to an improvement in clinical outcomes. We aimed to probe whether the rebound of platelet count could be a predictor of good prognosis in sepsis patients in a large, diverse population.Methods: All sepsis patients were initially stratified according to nadir platelet counts (very low<50´109/L, intermediate-low 50 ´ 109 to 99 ´ 109/L, low 100 ´ 109 to 149 ´ 109/L, normal 150 ´ 109 to 399 ´ 109/L, or thrombocytosis > 400 ´ 109/L). The delta platelet count (DPC) was defined as the difference between the last platelet count prior to transfer or death and the nadir platelet count after ICU admission. Results: A total of 3457 patients were enrolled in our study. The 28-day mortality in the very low (43.1%) and intermediate-low (36.9%) platelet count groups was higher than in the low (26.8%) and normal (23.2%) platelet count groups and thrombocytosis (18.2%) group (P <0.001). The patients in the ΔPC > 0 subgroup had lower 28-day morality (38.5% vs. 59.1%, P < 0.001, 33.3% vs. 44.7%, P = 0.015, 23.8% vs. 32.7% P = 0.01, 20.2 vs. 27.7, P = 0.001, respectively) except in the thrombocytosis group. The extended Cox proportional hazard regression model showed a decreased risk of death within 28 days in patients in the ΔPC > 0 subgroup (HR 0.570, 95% CI 0.498-0.651, P < 0.001).Conclusions: The rebound platelet count could be a biomarker of good prognosis in patients with sepsis.
Cross-domain Learning Using Optimized Pseudo Labels: Towards Adaptive Car Detection in Different Weather Conditions and Urban Cities
Authors: wang ke , Zhang Lianhua , Xia Qin , Pu Liang , Chen Junlan
Published: March 2021

Convolutional neural networks (CNN) based object detection usually assumes that training and test data have the same distribution, which, however, does not always hold in real-world applications. In autonomous vehicles, the driving scene (target domain) consists of unconstrained road environments which cannot all possibly be observed in training data (source domain) and this will lead to a sharp drop in the accuracy of the detector. In this paper, we propose a domain adaptation framework based on pseudo-labels to solve the domain shift. First, the pseudo-labels of the target domain images are generated by the baseline detector (BD) and optimized by our data optimization module to correct the errors. Then, the hard samples in a single image are labeled based on the optimization results of pseudo-labels. The adaptive sampling module is approached to sample target domain data according to the number of hard samples per image to select more effective data. Finally, a modified knowledge distillation loss is applied in the retraining module, and we investigate two ways of assigning soft-labels to the training examples from the target domain to retrain the detector. We evaluate the average precision of our approach in various source/target domain pairs and demonstrate that the framework improves over 10% average precision of BD on multiple domain adaptation scenarios on the Cityscapes, KITTI, and Apollo datasets.
Dexdemetomidine for Prevention of Cough Response and Agitation in Patients with Intubation after Flap Reconstructive Surgery for Oral Cancer
Authors: Huang Lili , Qin Chuanqi , Wang Li
Published: March 2021

Background: To investigate whether intraoperative infusion of dexmedetomidine could safely prevent the incidence of cough response and agitation in patients with intubation after flap reconstructive surgery for oral cancer.Methods: Sixty-four patients undergoing flap reconstructive surgeries were randomly divided into dexmedetomidine (D) group and control (C) group. Within 15 min before anesthesia induction, dexmedetomidine was infused with a 0.5μg/kg loading dose followed by a maintenance dose of o.4μg/kg/h in group D, while the same volume saline was administered in group C. All patients kept the tracheal tube and maintained spontaneous respiratory in intensive care unit (ICU). Postoperative cough response, the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) score, the behavioral pain scale (BPS) score, blood oxygen saturation (SpO2 ), respiratory rate (RR) and end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO2) were recorded at 10min (T1), 20 min(T2), 30 min (T3), 1h(T4), 6h(T5), 12h(T6) and 24h (T7) after surgery. Meanwhile, the length of ICU stay and adverse effects were also calculated.Results: The data of 32 patients in each group were included in this study. The incidence of cough response were significantly lower in group D than that in group C at T1-6 (P<0.05); The RASS scores in group D were significantly lower than that in group C at T1-5 (P<0.05); The BPS score in group C was much higher than that in group D at all time-points (P<0.05). And there was no significant difference in the SpO2, RR, EtCO2, the length of ICU stay and other complications. Conclusion: Dexmedetomidine as an anesthetic adjuvant could safely prevent the incidence of cough response and agitation in patients with intubation after flap reconstructive surgery for oral cancer. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR-1800018367.