bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fire Occurrences and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon
Authors: Silva Claudia Arantes , Santilli Giancarlo , Sano Edson Eyji , Laneve Giovanni
Published: December 2020

This work presents the dynamics of forest clearing in the Brazilian Amazon during the period 2006–2019 in which includes the approval of the new Brazilian Forest Code in 2012. The study was carried out in the Brazilian Amazon, Pará State and in the municipality of Novo Progresso (Pará State). The analysis was based on deforestation and fire hotspot datasets issued by the Brazilian Institute for Space Research (INPE), produced based on optical and thermal sensors onboard different satellites. Deforestation data was also used to assess greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the slash-and-burn practices. The work showed a good correlation between the occurrence of fires in the newly deforested area in the municipality of Novo Progresso and the slash-and-burn practices. The same trend was also observed in the Pará State, suggesting a common practice along the deforestation arch. The study indicated positive coefficients of determination of 0.72 and 0.66 between deforestation and fire occurrences for the municipality of Novo Progresso and Pará State, respectively. The increased number of fire occurrences in the primary forest suggests possible ecosystem degradation. Deforestation reported for 2019 surpassed 10,000 km2, a significant intensification comparatively higher than the previous ten years which was on an average of 6,760 km2. The steady increase of deforestation in the Amazon after 2012 has been a worldwide concern because of the forest loss itself as well as the massive GHG emitted in the Brazilian Amazon (295 million tons of net CO2 equivalent in the year 2019). Better correlation of deforestation and fires occurrences reported from satellite images confirmed the slash-and-burn practice and the secondary effect of deforestation, which degrades primary forest surrounding the deforested areas.
The Effect of Mechanical Vibrations During Transport under Model Conditions on the Shelf-Life, Quality and Physico-Chemical Parameters of four Apple Cultivars
Authors: Walkowiak-Tomczak Dorota , Idaszewska Natalia , Łysiak Grzegorz P. , Bieńczak Krzysztof
Published: December 2020

The study assessed the changes in the quality and physical and chemical parameters of apples of four cultivars (‘Gala’, ‘Idared’, ‘Topaz’, ‘Red Prince’) subjected to mechanical vibrations during transport under model conditions and after storage (shelf-life). Quality changes in apples were evaluated based on skin and flesh colour, total soluble solids, dry matter, firmness, titratable acidity, pH value, total polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity. The applied vibrations at a frequency of 28 Hz caused changes in the above parameters, which were visible also after storage and depended on cultivar, but did not show any clear trend or direction. Skin colour varied whereas flesh colour remained stable. Vibrations resulted in a decrease in firmness. The greatest stability of quality parameters, the highest content of bioactive compounds and the highest antioxidant capacity were observed for ‘Red Prince’ and ‘Topaz’ apples – this refers to the control and treated samples before and after storage. However, total polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity increased in all studied cultivars as a result of vibrations and storage, which suggests that 28 Hz mechanical vibrations and short-term cold storage did not reduce the health promoting potential of the apples.
A New Model for Charged Anisotropic Matter with Modified Chaplygin Equation of State
Authors: Malaver Manuel , Daei Kasmaei Hamed
Published: December 2020

In this paper, we found a new model for compact star with charged anisotropic matter distribution considering an extended version of the Chaplygin equation of state. We specify a particular form of the metric potential Z(x) that allows us to solve the Einstein-Maxwell field equations. The obtained model satisfies all physical properties expected in a realistic star such that the expressions for the radial pressure, energy density, metric coefficients, measure of anisotropy and the mass are fully well defined and are regular in the interior of star. The solution obtained in this work can have multiple applications in astrophysics and cosmology.
A Decrease in Psycho-Emotional Health in Middleaged Russian Women Associated With Their Lifestyle: Factors and Indicators
Authors: Saporovskaia Maria V. , Kryukova Tatiana L. , Voronina Maria E. , Tikhomirova Elena V. , Samokhvalova Anna G. , Khazova Svetlana A.
Published: December 2020

The present study is aimed to determine the predicting role of objective (lifestyle) and subjective factors of middle-aged women’s psycho-emotional health such as their attitude towards parents, attachment and separation types. Women who are overloaded with professional and family roles have high stress level, their indicators of psychological well-being and emotional level decrease when they have to give everyday care to their elderly parents. (2) Methods: Sample consists of 146 women aged 38 to 56 ( =41.1, ó=3.5), married (70.5%) and divorced (29.5%), having children of 14-28 years old; giving everyday care to elderly parents for more than 1.5 yrs. Some live separately (62.3 %), or have to cohabitate with parents (37.7%). All women evaluate their life situation as difficult and manifest signs of high psycho-emotional stress. We used methods adapted for the Russian-speaking sample: getting socio-demographic information, an interview; Attachment style and Interpersonal Guilt Questionnaires (study 1); Psychological Separation Inventory, Purpose-in-Life Test, projective methods of incomplete sentences and metaphors` analysis (study 2), mathematical statistics. (3) Results: A number of factors and indicators of women`s psycho-emotional health decrease in the situation of role overload have been identified. Among the factors there are four main types of women’s attitudes towards parents: strong (anxious), distancing, ambivalent, normative closeness, predicting low indicators of psycho-emotional health: dependence on the others` opinions and feedbacks in making decisions, a lack of meaningfulness of life; reduced sense of control over life are showing the decrease. Anxiety about future and neurotic symptoms (increased demands on oneself, irritability, reduced emotional background) distinguish these respondents. (4) Conclusions: The study confirms that middle-aged Russian women`s psycho-emotional health depends on contextual factors (difficult role-overloaded lifestyle) and factors integrating women`s attitudes towards parents, attachment and separation types. Among the most important risk factors there are a difficult life situation, conflict separation type and gilt.
Liquid-Based Reconfigurable Antenna Technology: Recent Developments, Challenges and Future
Authors: Abu Bakar Habshah , Abd Rahim Rosemizi , Soh Ping Jack , Akkaraekthalin Prayoot
Published: December 2020

Advances in reconfigurable liquid-based reconfigurable antennas are enabling new possibilities to fulfil the requirements of more advanced wireless communication systems. In this review, a comparative analysis of various state-of-the-art concepts and techniques for designing reconfigurable antennas using liquid is presented. First, the electrical properties of different liquids at room temperature commonly used in reconfigurable antennas are identified. This is followed by a discussion of various liquid actuation techniques in enabling high frequency reconfigurability. Next, liquid-based reconfigurable antennas in literature used to achieve the different types of reconfiguration will be critically reviewed. These include frequency-, polarization-, radiation pattern- and compound reconfigurability. The current concepts of liquid-based reconfigurable antennas can be classified broadly into three basic approaches: altering the physical (and electrical) dimensions of antennas using liquid, applying liquid-based sections as reactive loads; and implementation of liquids as dielectric resonators. Each concept and their design approaches will be examined, outlining their benefits, limitations, and possible future improvements.
Multi-Block Color-Binarized Statistical Images for Single Sample Face Recognition
Authors: Adjabi Insaf , Benzaoui Amir , Ouahabi Abdeldjalil , Jacques Sebastien
Published: December 2020

Single sample face recognition (SSFR) is a computer vision challenge. In this scenario, there is only one example from each individual on which to train the system, making it difficult to identify persons in unconstrained environments, particularly when dealing with changes in facial expression, posture, lighting, and occlusion. This paper suggests a different method based on a variant of the Binarized Statistical Image Features (BSIF) descriptor called Multi-Block Color-Binarized Statistical Image Features (MB-C-BSIF) to resolve the SSFR Problem. First, the MB-C-BSIF method decomposes a facial image into three channels (e.g., red, green, and blue), then it divides each channel into equal non-overlapping blocks to select the local facial characteristics that are consequently employed in the classification phase. Finally, the identity is determined by calculating the similarities among the characteristic vectors adopting a distance measurement of the k-nearest neighbors (K-NN) classifier. Extensive experiments on several subsets of the unconstrained Alex & Robert (AR) and Labeled Faces in the Wild (LFW) databases show that the MB-C-BSIF achieves superior results in unconstrained situations when compared to current state-of-the-art methods, especially when dealing with changes in facial expression, lighting, and occlusion. Furthermore, the suggested method employs algorithms with lower computational cost, making it ideal for real-time applications.
Innovative Approaches to Aphasia Rehabilitation: a Review on Efficacy, Safety and Controversies
Authors: Picano Chiara , Quadrini Agnese , Pisano Francesca , Marangolo Paola
Published: December 2020

Aphasia is one of the most socially disabling post-stroke deficits. Although traditional therapies have been shown to induce adequate clinical improvement, aphasic symptoms often persist. Therefore, new rehabilitation techniques which act as a substitute or as an adjunct to traditional approaches are urgently needed. The present review provides an overview of the efficacy and safety of the most innovative approaches which have been proposed over the last twenty years. First, we examined the effectiveness of the pharmacological approach, principally used as an adjunct to language therapy, reporting the mechanism of action of each single drug for the recovery of aphasia. Results are conflicting but promising. Secondly, we discussed the application of Virtual Reality (VR) which has been proved to be useful since it potentiates the ecological validity of the language therapy by using virtual contexts which simulate real-life everyday contexts. Finally, we focused on the use of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), both discussing its applications at the cortical level and highlighting a new perspective, which considers the possibility to extend the use of tDCS over the motor regions. Although the review revels an extraordinary variability among the different studies, substantial agreement has been reached on some general principles, such as the necessity to consider tDCS only as an adjunct to traditional language therapy.
Long-Haul COVID-19: Putative Pathophysiology, Risk Factors, and Treatments
Authors: Yong Shin Jie
Published: December 2020

Long-haul COVID-19 illness first gained widespread recognition among social support groups and later in scientific and medical communities. This illness is mysterious as it affects COVID-19 survivors at all levels of disease severity, even younger adults and children. While the precise definition may be lacking, the defining symptoms are fatigue, dyspnea, and headache that last for months after hospital discharge. The less typical symptoms may include cognitive impairments, chest and joint pains, myalgia, smell and taste dysfunctions, cough, mood changes, and gastrointestinal and cardiac issues. Presently, there is limited literature discussing the possible pathophysiology, risk factors, and treatments in long-haul COVID-19, which the current review aims to address. In brief, long-haul COVID-19 may be driven by long-term lung and brain damage and unresolved inflammation from multiple sources. The associated risk factors may include female sex, more than five early symptoms, early dyspnea, and specific biomarkers like D-dimer. While only rehabilitation training has been useful for long-haul COVID-19, therapeutics repurposed from mast cell activation syndrome, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, and pulmonary fibrosis also hold potential. In sum, this review hopes to provide the current understanding of what is known about long-haul COVID-19.
Terminal Mono- and Bis-Conjugates of Oligonucleotides with Closo-Dodecaborate: Synthesis and Physico-Chemical Properties
Authors: Novopashina Darya , Vorobyeva Mariya A. , Lomzov Alexander A. , Silnikov Vladimir N. , Venyaminova Alya G.
Published: December 2020

Oligonucleotide conjugates with boron clusters have found applications in different fields of molecular biology, biotechnology, and biomedicine as potential agents for boron neutron capture therapy, siRNA components, and antisense agents. Particularly, closo-dodecaborate anion represents a high-boron containing residue with remarkable chemical stability and low toxicity, suitable for the engineering of different constructs for biomedicine and molecular biology. In the present work, we synthesized novel oligonucleotide conjugates of closo-dodecaborate attached to the 5'-, 3'-, or both terminal positions of DNA, RNA, 2'-O-Me RNA, and 2'-F-Py RNA oligomers. For their synthesis, we employed click reaction with the azido derivative of closo-dodecaborate. The key physicochemical characteristics of the conjugates have been investigated using high-performance liquid chromatography, gel electrophoresis, UV thermal melting, and circular dichroism spectroscopy. Incorporation of closo-dodecaborate residues at the 3'-end of all oligomers stabilized their complementary complexes, while analogous 5'-modification decreased duplex stability. Two boron clusters attached to the opposite ends of the oligomer only slightly influence the stability of complementary complexes of RNA oligonucleotide and its 2'-O-methyl and 2'-fluoro analogs. On the contrary, the same modification of DNA oligonucleotides significantly destabilized DNA/DNA duplex but gave a strong stabilization of the duplex with RNA target. According to CD spectroscopy results, two terminal closo-dodecaborate residues cause a prominent structural rearrangement of complementary complexes with a substantial shift from B-form to the A-form of the double helix. The revealed changes of key characteristics of oligonucleotides caused by incorporation of terminal boron clusters, such as the increase of hydrophobicity, change of duplex stability, and prominent structural changes for DNA conjugates, should be taken into account for the development of antisense oligonucleotides, siRNAs, or aptamers bearing boron clusters. These features may also be used for engineering of developing NA constructs with pre-defined properties.
Training of future teachers for work with children under the conditions of preschool inclusive education
Authors: Zdanevych Larysa V. , Chaika Volodymyr M. , Pysarchuk Oksana T. , Tsehelnyk Tetianа M. , Ratushniak Natalia O.
Published: December 2020

The objective of this study is to identify areas of training of teachers, as well as a set of skills needed to work in inclusive institutions, taking into account the criteria of readiness of teachers. The study involved generalization, abstraction, grouping, and survey methods. Grouping the components of readiness of future teachers for preschool inclusive education allowed to identify several basic components: motivational, cognitive, value-content and operational-activity. Also was identified conceptual criteria for the readiness of future teachers, to assess the importance of each of them through a survey. The results of the study have several limitations, in particular insufficiently covered practical component of training of preschool teachers, as well as the limited number of research methods used in this article.
Return-to-Driving Recommendations After Lower-Extremity Orthopaedic Procedures
Authors: Frane Nicholas , Bandovic Ivan , Hu Victor , Bitterman Adam
Published: December 2020

» Following lower-extremity orthopaedic surgery, recommendations for safe return to driving include at least 6 to 12 weeks for a right ankle fracture, 2 days to 2 weeks for a right ankle arthroscopy, 6 to 9 weeks for a total ankle arthroplasty, 6 to 7 weeks for a right Achilles tendon rupture repair, 1 to 4 weeks for a right total knee arthroplasty, 2 weeks for a left total knee arthroplasty, 3 to 6 weeks for a right anterior cruciate ligament repair, and 1 to 4 weeks for a total hip arthroplasty.

» Important individual factors such as extent of injury, laterality of injury, current driving habits, type of vehicle transmission (manual or automatic), and medical comorbidities must be taken into consideration.

» State laws vary widely and often use vague language to describe the legal responsibilities that orthopaedic surgeons have when providing return-to-driving recommendations.
Proximate, amino acid, fatty acid and mineral composition of Grey mullet, Mugil cephalus L: A comparative study between the culture and wild resources in different size groups and potential contribution to nutritional security
Authors: Dayal Syama , Jannathulla Rajabdeen , Ambasankar Kondusamy , Vasagam Kumaraguru , Vijayan Koyadan
Published: December 2020

Mugil cephalus is widely distributed across all oceans and it is a potential candidate species for aquaculture. Nutrient profiling in terms of proximate, amino acid, fatty acid and mineral composition was analyzed in muscle tissue of M. cephalus sourced from culture and wild with four different sizes (100–150 g, 151–250 g, 251–500 g and > 500 g). Results of proximate composition revealed that both the factors (resource and size) had a significant (P < 0.05) effect on moisture, crude lipid, total ash and gross energy but not on crude protein and crude fibre. Though the amino acid composition was not influenced by resource and size, the level of essential amino acids of ideal protein was higher than the recommended level by FAO/WHO for phenylalanine (43.29–45.60%), tryptophan (36.60-39.02%) and lysine (33.61–41.51%). Fatty acids like C14:0, C16:0, C18:0, C18:1c, C18:2c and γC18:3 was significantly (P < 0.05) high in cultured species compared to wild caught fish, irrespective of the size groups and the reverse was true for αC18:3, C20:4 and C20:5. The amount of calcium, phosphorus, sodium and potassium was significantly (P < 0.05) higher by 10.68, 5.82, 9.31 and 6.93% in wild caught fish than its counterpart. The potential contribution of this fish to nutritional security in terms of its daily value (DV) was calculated for one serving of 100 g fish to adult human being. Results revealed that lysine, methionine, threonine, tryptophan and EPA + DHA were considered as outstanding nutrients in this fish, irrespective of their source and size as their DV crossed > 70%. Similarly, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine and valine could also able to meet 50–70% of the daily needs of adult human indicating the nutritional richness of both wild and cultured M. cephalus regardless of its size.
Tumor volume and prostate-specific antigen kinetics effects on outcomes of metastatic prostate cancer patients receiving androgen deprivation therapy
Authors: Lin Yen-Chi , Lin Po-Hung , Shao I-Hung , Chu Yuan-Cheng , Kan Hung-Cheng , Liu Chung-Yi , Yu Kai-Jie , Chang Ying-Hsu , Pang See-Tong , Huang Jhen-Ling , Chuang Cheng-Keng
Published: December 2020

Background The present study aimed to analyse the effects of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in patients with newly diagnosed metastatic castration-naïve prostate cancer (mCNPC) and explore predictors, particularly prostate-specific antigen (PSA) kinetics, associated with poor prognosis according to tumor volume, a new sub-classification of metastatic prostate cancer established by the CHAARTED trial.Methods We reviewed 648 patients with newly diagnosed mCNPC receiving ADT at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital from January 2007 to December 2016. Basic characteristics and PSA kinetics profile were subsequently evaluated.Results Among patients with high-volume disease, those with faster time to PSA nadir (TTN) (< 7 months), higher PSA nadir (≥ 2 ng/mL), and faster PSA doubling time (PSADT) (< 2 months) had higher risk for faster disease progression or shorter overall survival (OS) compared to those with slower TTN (> 7 months), lower PSA nadir (< 2 ng/mL), and slower PSADT (> 2 months). Multivariate analysis of those with low-volume disease showed that only PSADT (< 4 months) was tended to be associated with faster disease progression or shorter OS.Conclusions PSA kinetics are effective clinical predictors for risk of disease progression and survival. Moreover, various PSA kinetics should be monitored according to tumor volume.
Functional Ability of Children and Adolescents With Cancer
Authors: Lopes Olivia , Frônio Jaqueline , Bergmann Anke , Lemos Rayla , Defilipo Érica , Chagas Paula
Published: December 2020

Background: It is still poorly understood how the mobility of children and adolescents is affected by cancer. In addition, there is a lack of studies to guide the physiotherapeutic procedures essential for the maintenance, development, preservation and improvement of functional capacity of cancer patients. Therefore, the objective this study to evaluate the functional ability of children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer. Methods: A cross-sectional, observational study was carried out, with children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer, from 2 to 18 years of age, of both genders, from the city of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil. All participants signed the informed consent form. The Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory - Computer Adaptive Test (PEDI-CAT) questionnaire was applied to the caregivers for assessing the functional ability of the participants, in the domains of daily activities, mobility, social/cognitive and responsibility. Results: 33 children or adolescents, 14 male and 19 female, with a mean age of 9.23 years, accepted to participate in the study. After adjustment, it was observed that in the mobility domain, participants older than 8 years presented worse functional ability (OR = 22.000, 95%CI = 3.415 - 141.733, p=0.0001). Conclusions: Children older than 8 years of age and adolescents with different types of cancer showed higher chance to present worse mobility than expected by age, compared to children under 8 years old. Understanding the impact of childhood cancer is important for the physiotherapist to determine treatment strategies for this population that lives with dysfunctions left by cancer treatment.
Inhibitory and Facilitatory Effects of Phonological and Orthographic Similarity on Bilingual Word Recognition
Authors: Frances Candice , Navarra-Barindelli Eugenia , Martin Clara
Published: December 2020

Language perception studies on bilinguals often show that words that share form and meaning across languages (cognates) are easier to process than words that share only meaning. This facilitatory phenomenon is known as the cognate effect. Most previous studies have shown this effect visually, whereas the auditory modality as well as the interplay between type of similarity and modality remain largely unexplored. In this study, highly proficient late Spanish-English bilinguals carried out a lexical decision task in their second language, both visually and auditorily. Words had high or low phonological and orthographic similarity, fully crossed. We also included orthographically identical words (perfect cognates). Our results suggest that similarity in the same modality (i.e., orthographic similarity in the visual modality and phonological similarity in the auditory modality) leads to improved signal detection, whereas similarity across modalities hinders it. We provide support for the idea that perfect cognates are a special category within cognates. Results suggest a need for a conceptual and practical separation between types of similarity in cognate studies. The theoretical implication is that the representations of items are active in both modalities of the non-target language during language processing, which needs to be incorporated to our current processing models.
Profiles of Volatile Biomarkers Detect Tuberculosis from Skin
Authors: Haick Hossam , Vishinkin Rotem , Busool Rami , Mansour Elias , Fish Falk , Esmail Aliasgar , Kumar Parveen , Garaa Alaa , Cancilla John , Torrecilla Jose , Skenders Girts , Leja Marcis , Dheda Keertan , Singh Sarman
Published: December 2020

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that threatens >10 million people annually. Despite advances in TB diagnostics, millions of patients continue to receive insufficient diagnosis, as TB symptoms are not specific. Many existing bio-diagnostic tests are slow, have low sensitivity and/or specificity, and can be too expensive or complex for resource-limited settings. Early diagnosis of TB contributes to morbidity mitigation and prevents the disease spread. Here, we report on a new physiological pathway for TB diagnostics via TB-specific profile of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are detected and quantified from air trapped above the skin (“skin headspace”). Beyond the exploration aspect that relies on clinical samples from 636 individuals in two clinical sites, we demonstrate the utility of these VOC profiles in a point-of-care diagnosis, by means of specifically-designed intelligent nanoarray, both in lab setting and online, in-situ wearable devices. The results show excellent discrimination between active pulmonary TB patients and controls with 89.4% accuracy. This fulfills the triage TB test requirements according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Experiences and outcomes of group volunteer befriending with patients with severe mental illness: an exploratory mixed-methods study in Colombia
Authors: Botero-Rodríguez Felipe , Hernandez María , Uribe-Restrepo José , Cabariqe Camilo , Fung Catherine , Priebe Stefan , Gómez-Restrepo Carlos
Published: December 2020

Background: Improving care for patients with severe mental illness in Latin America requires effective strategies that are low-cost. One such strategy is a volunteering scheme, referred to as befriending, which seeks to support the social integration of patients. Despite positive reports in other world regions, this intervention has not been studied in Latin America. Whilst befriending programmes commonly form patient-volunteer dyads, group arrangements may be an alternative with some benefits. Here, we aim to explore the feasibility, experiences and outcomes of a group volunteer befriending intervention for patients with severe mental illness in Colombia. Methods: In this exploratory non-controlled study, 10 groups of five individuals were formed, each consisting of three individuals with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and two volunteers from the community in Bogotá, Colombia. Each group was encouraged to participate together in social activities within their community over a 6-month period. Patients’ quality of life, objective social outcomes, symptom levels and internalised stigma were assessed before and after the intervention. Patients’ and volunteers’ experiences were explored in semi-structured interviews which were analysed using inductive content analysis. Results: Outcomes were available for 23 patients. Whilst their objective social situation had significantly improved at the end of the intervention, other outcomes did not show statistically significant differences. The interviews with participants revealed positive experiences which fell into five categories: 1) stigma reduction; 2) personal growth; 3) formation of relationships; 4) continuity and sustainability of befriending; 5) acceptability of befriending. Conclusions: A volunteer befriending programme in small groups of two volunteers and three patients is feasible and associated with positive experiences of participants. Such programmes may also improve the objective social situation of patients. This low-cost intervention may be useful for patients with severe mental illnesses in Latin America. Trial registration: ISRCTN72241383 (Date of Registration: 04/03/2019, retrospectively registered).
Prognostic Factors in Patients with Advanced HER2-Positive Gastric Cancer Treated With Trastuzumab-Based Chemotherapy: A Cohort Study
Authors: Marshall Shoko , Wakatsuki Takeru , Takahari Daisuke , Matsushima Tomohiro , Ishizuka Naoki , Nakayama Izuma , Osumi Hiroki , Ogura Mariko , Ichimura Takashi , Shinozaki Eiji , Chin Keisho , Yamaguchi Kensei
Published: December 2020

Background: Prognostic factors for the survival of patients with advanced HER2-positive gastric cancer treated with trastuzumab-based chemotherapy remain controversial. The aim of this study was to reveal the clinical factors that predict prognosis in this patient population.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of HER2-positive gastric cancer patients treated with trastuzumab-based chemotherapy in our institution. Clinical features and laboratory test results considered prognostic factors were re-examined. Overall survival (OS) was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, univariate analysis was performed with the log-rank test, and multivariate analysis using Cox’s proportional hazard regression model.Results: A total of 133 patients with advanced HER2-positive gastric cancer were enrolled. The median OS in this cohort was 18.7 months. Four prognostic factors: visceral metastasis (lung or liver), and levels of haemoglobin (Hb) (< 11.6 g/dL), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (> 222 mg/dL), and C-reactive protein (CRP) (> 0.14 mg/dl) were identified as independent prognostic factors. After classifying the patients in three groups according to their number of prognostic factors, namely low (0,1), moderate (2,3), and high (4) risk, OS curves were separated into three categories with median OS of 32.0, 18.7, and 10.1 months, respectively (p=0.00025). Compared to the low-risk group, hazard ratios for the moderate- and high-risk groups were 1.75 (95% CI: 1.05–2.93) and 3.49 (95% CI: 1.81–6.71), respectively.Conclusion: Visceral metastasis and abnormal Hb, LDH, and CRP test results were associated with unfavourable OS. These findings are helpful for the management of advanced HER2-positive gastric cancer treated with trastuzumab-based chemotherapy.
Anaemic women are more at risk of injectable contraceptive discontinuation due to side-effects in Ethiopia
Authors: Stevens Rose , Malbos Blandine , Gurmu Eshetu , Riou Jérémie , Alvergne Alexandra
Published: December 2020

Introduction This paper investigates the importance of women’s physiological condition for predicting the risk of discontinuation due to side-effects of the injectable contraceptive in Ethiopia, where side-effects account for around 20% of all discontinuations. Methods Contraceptive calendar data from the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey were analysed. Women aged 15-49 who had initiated the injectable contraceptive in the two years prior to interview were included in the analysis (N=1,513). After checking for reverse causality, the associations between physiological risk factors and discontinuation of the injectable contraceptive due to either side-effects (DSE) or other reasons (DOR) were estimated using multivariate Cox proportional regression analyses. Results In 2016, 10% of women had initiated the injectable in the last two years, and 1 in 4 had discontinued use by the time of the interview. Of these, 1 in 5 discontinued due to side-effects. Women with anaemia were at twice the risk of DSE compared with non-anaemic women, while anaemia status was not associated with DOR. Sociocultural factors including religion, wealth and relationship status were significant predictors for DOR, but not for DSE. Conclusion Accounting for diversity in physiological condition is key for understanding contraceptive discontinuation due to side-effects.
GRP75-Upregulated HMGA1 Expression Promotes Stage I Lung Adenocarcinoma Progression by Activating the JNK/c-JUN Signaling Pathway
Authors: Qiao Guo-Bing , Wang Ren-Tao , Wang Shu-Nan , Tao Shaolin , Tan Qun-You , Jin Hua
Published: December 2020

Background: Recurrence is a major challenge in early-stage lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) treatment. However, the recurrence mechanism is still unclear, and no biomarkers can predict recurrence in early-stage LUAD. Here, we investigated the role and mechanism of high-mobility group AT-hook 1 (HMGA1) and glucose-regulated protein 75-kDa (GRP75) in stage I LUAD and evaluated their potential as biomarkers for predicting the recurrence and prognosis of stage I LUAD.Results: High expression of HMGA1 and GRP75 was associated with recurrence and a poor prognosis in stage I LUAD patients. In particular, HMGA1 had potential as an independent prognostic factor. Overexpression of GRP75 or HMGA1 promoted LUAD cell growth and metastasis, while silencing GRP75 or HMGA1 inhibited LUAD cell growth and metastasis. In vitro and clinical data showed that the expression level of GRP75 positively regulated HMGA1 in LUAD and that GRP75 played an HMGA1-dependent role. In addition, GRP75 prolonged the half-life of HMGA1 by inhibiting HMGA1 ubiquitination via direct binding to HMGA1. Finally, we demonstrated that the GRP75/HMGA1 axis played a role by activating JNK/c-JUN signaling in LUAD.Conclusions: The activation of GRP75/HMGA1/JNK/c-JUN signaling is an important mechanism that promotes the progression of stage I LUAD, and a high level of HMGA1 is a novel biomarker for predicting recurrence and prognosis in patients with stage I LUAD.
Automatic Calibration Method for Mounting Position of Protein Crystal Mounting Robot Based on Visual Positioning
Authors: Qin Jiangping , Li Zhaolong , Sun Bo , Yu Feng , Liu Yi , Zhang Kunhao , Wang Qisheng
Published: December 2020

With the popularization of automounting robots in protein crystal diffraction experiment beamline stations, the coordinate calibration of the robot sample mounting position has become an inevitable task in the daily maintenance of the beamline station. In this method, the image features of the laser sensor spot and goniometer are extracted by color extraction and edge detection, respectively, and the noise is eliminated by median filtering. Then, after locating the pixel coordinates of the center of the circle through the Hough circle detection and the minimum closed circle fitting algorithm, the coordinates in the base coordinate system are obtained using the camera internal and external parameter matrices and the hand-eye relationship matrix. Finally, according to the deviation of the laser spot and the visual positioning coordinate of the goniometer, the position of the robot is compensated to improve the positioning accuracy, and the automatic calibration of the sample point is realized.
Lane-Exchanging Driving Strategy for Autonomous Vehicle via Trajectory Prediction and Model Predictive Control
Authors: CHEN YIMIN , Yu Huilong , Zhang Jinwei , Cao Donpu
Published: December 2020

The cooperation between an autonomous vehicle and a nearby vehicle is critical to ensure driving safety in the lane-exchanging scenario. The nearby vehicle trajectory needs to be predicted, from which the autonomous vehicle is controlled to prevent possible collisions. This paper proposes a lane-exchanging driving strategy for the autonomous vehicle to cooperate with the nearby vehicle by integrating vehicle

trajectory prediction and motion control. A trajectory prediction method is developed to anticipate the nearby vehicle trajectory. The Gaussian mixture model (GMM), together with the vehicle kinematic model, are synthesized to predict the nearby vehicle trajectory. A potential-field-based model predictive control (MPC) approach is utilized by the autonomous vehicle to conduct the lane-exchanging maneuver. The potential field of the nearby vehicle is considered in the controller design for collision avoidance. On-road driving data verification shows the nearby vehicle trajectory can be predicted by the proposed method. CarSim simulations validate that the autonomous vehicle can perform the lane-exchanging maneuver

and avoid the nearby vehicle using the proposed driving strategy. The autonomous vehicle can thus safely perform the lane-exchanging maneuver and avoid the nearby vehicle.
Imaging Anatomy and Surface Localization of External Control Device - Target ed Arteries for Noncompressible Torso Hemorrhage
Authors: zhang huayu , guo yong , liu heng , tang hao , li yang , zhang lianyang
Published: December 2020

Background: Noncompressible torso hemorrhage (NCTH) is the main cause of prehospital death due to war injury. External hemorrhage control devices (EHCDs) are effective in reducing the death risk of NCTH, but the pressurized area is too large to prevent serious organ damage. This study aims to establish the surface localization strategy of EHCDs based on anatomical features of NCTH-related arteries through human CT images to facilitate the optimal design and application of EHCDs and eventually reduce relevant injuries. Methods: Images of 200 patients aged 18-65 years who underwent abdominal contrast-enhanced CT scans were collected. Anatomical parameters such as the length and diameter of the aortic bifurcation (AB), common iliac artery (CIA), external iliac artery (EIA) and common femoral artery (CFA) were measured, and positional relationships among EHCD-targeted arteries, umbilicus, anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) and pubic tubercle (PT) were determined. The accuracy of surface localization was verified by 3D-printed mannequins of 20 real patients. Results: The angle and diameter of the AB were 47.1±10.5° and 17.8±2.7 mm, respectively. The AB was 7.5±8.6 mm to the left of umbilicus. The left CIA and right EIA were longer than the contralateral CIA and right EIA (p=0.038 and p=0.000, respectively). The average length of CFA was 39.0±16.6 mm. The CIA was wider than the EIA and the CFA (p=0.000). The distance between the artery and surface decreased from the CIA to the CFA (p=0.000). The vertical distance between the CIA terminus and the ipsilateral AB-ASIS line was 19.6±8.2 mm, and the left and right perpendicular intersections were located at the upper 1/3 and 1/4 of the AB-ASIS line, respectively. The length ratio of EIA-ASIS to ASIS-PT was 0.6:1. The length of the surface location/actual subpoint-ASIS was significantly correlated (p≤0.002), and the vertical distance between the two points of the same artery was ≤ 5.5 mm. Conclusion: The arterial localization strategy established via anatomical investigation was consistent with the actual situation. The data are necessary for improving EHCD design, precise hemostasis and EHCD-related collateral injuries.
Diagnostic Performance of D-dimer in Predicting Pulmonary Embolism in Tuberculosis Pleural Effusion Patients.
Authors: Li Xiao-Ming , Qin Ya-Jing , Ye Wen-Jing , Chen Xi , Sun De-Zhi , Guo Xue-Jun , Gu Wen
Published: December 2020

Background: Tuberculosis pleural effusion patients always have elevated D-dimer levels. How D-dimer performance in predicting pulmonary embolism in TPE population is unclear. The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic performance of D-dimer for pulmonary embolism in TPE population and explore the potential mechanism of PE in TPE patients.Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients who were admitted to Xinhua hospital and Weifang Respiratory Disease Hospital with a final diagnosis of TPE between March 2014 and January 2020. Data including demographics, history, symptoms, D-dimer, C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cell (WBC) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) as well as the cytokines such as IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, IL-2 receptor of the first blood test, imaging results including computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) and compression ultrasound (CUS) with Doppler were collected and analyzed. Results: 248 patients (male=170, female=78) at the age of 43±20.6 years were final included in this study. Elevated D-dimer (≥0.5mg/L) was detected in 186/248 (75%) patients. 150 patients received CTPA examination. PE was diagnosed in 29/150 (19.3%) patients. Among the TPE population, PE patients had significantly higher DD level than that of non-PE patients (2.26±0.96 mg/L VS 1.06±0.73 mg/L) (P＜0.05). An optimized cut off value for D-dimer in predicting PE in TPE was 1.18 mg/L, with a sensitivity of 89.7% and a specificity of 77.8 % ( area under curve was 0.893; 95% CI: 0.839-0.947; P＜0.01). PE patients had lower median WBC and IL-8 values (5.14Ⅹ109/L VS 6.1Ⅹ109/L, P＜0.05 ; 30.2 pg/ml VS 89.7 pg/ml, P＜0.05) but higher median IL-2 receptor value (1964.8 pg/ml VS 961.2 pg/ml, P＜0.01) than that of non-PE patients.Conclusions: D-dimer is still an objective biomarker to predict PE in TPE patients. In order to avoid unnecessary radiological test, the cut off value of D-dimer in TPE patients should be set at 1.18 mg/L. In addition, the imbalance of prothrombotic and antithrombotic cytokines may partly attribute to the formation of pulmonary embolus in TPE patients.
Persistent Infection of Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cells With Bartonella Henselae Exerts a Proangiogenic Effect
Authors: Scutera Sara , Mitola Stefania , Sparti Rosaria , Piersigilli Giorgia , Grillo Elisabetta , Bugatti Mattia , Salvi Valentina , Alotto Daniela , Schioppa Tiziana , Musso Tiziana , Sozzani Silvano
Published: December 2020

Background B henselae is in humans the aetiologic agent of cat-scratch disease and of the vasculoproliferative disorders bacillary angiomatosis and bacillary peliosis. Although endothelial cells are crucial in the pathogenesis other cell types function as reservoir and contribute to pathological angiogenesis. Among them, mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) can sense pathogens and mount an appropriate cytokine/chemokine response through different Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRRs). MSCs exert direct antimicrobial effector function but may also shelter bacteria such as M. tuberculosis. Methods Adipose-derived MSCs were infected with B. henselae and analyzed for bacterial persistence by gentamicin protection assay, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Involvement of PRRs in bacterial infection was evaluated through gene and protein expression analysis. The effect of infection on MSC proliferation, apoptosis and release of soluble factors was assessed. The role of infected-MSC conditioned medium in promoting Bartonella infection of endothelial cells and angiogenesis was demonstrated using respectively gentamicin protection assay and different pro-angiogenic assays including spheroid, wound healing and morphogenesis. Results B. henselae can readily infect MSCs and survive in perinuclear bound vacuoles for up to 8 days. Bartonella infection stimulates MSC proliferation and upregulation of EGFR and of the two pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) TLR2 and NOD1. Specific inhibition of EGFR reduces bacterial internalization and treatment with anti-TLR2 neutralizing antibody or EGFR/NOD1 inhibitors significantly downmodulates CXCL8 production. Secretome analysis shows that, in addition to CXCL8, infected MSCs secrete higher levels of the proangiogenic factors VEGF, FGF-7, MMP-9, PIGF, serpin E1, TSP-1, uPA, IL-6, CCL5 and PDGF-D. Importantly, supernatants from B. henselae-infected MSCs increase the susceptibility of ECs to B. henselae infection while enhancing EC proangiogenic potential. Conclusions Altogether, these findings indicate that MSCs constitute a novel niche for B. henselae, which favors the persistence of vascular proliferative disorders.
Transcriptome Signatures Reveal Candidate Key Genes in the Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Patients With Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Kolur Vijayakrishna , Vastrad Basavaraj , Vastrad Chanabasayya , Kotturshetti Iranna , Tengli Anandkumar
Published: December 2020

BackgroundCoronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the most common disorders in the cardiovascular system. This study aims to explore potential signaling pathways and important biomarkers that drive CAD development. MethodsThe CAD GEO Dataset GSE113079 was featured to screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The pathway and Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis of DEGs were analyzed using the ToppGene. We screened hub and target genes from protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks, target gene - miRNA regulatory network and target gene - TF regulatory network, and Cytoscape software. Validations of hub genes were performed to evaluate their potential prognostic and diagnostic value for CAD. Results1,036 DEGs were captured according to screening criteria (525upregulated genes and 511downregulated genes). Pathway and Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis of DEGs revealed that these up and down regulated genes are mainly enriched in thyronamine and iodothyronamine metabolism, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, nervous system process, cell cycle and nuclear membrane. Hub genes were validated to find out potential prognostic biomarkers, diagnostic biomarkers and novel therapeutic target for CAD. ConclusionsIn summary, our findings discovered pivotal gene expression signatures and signaling pathways in the progression of CAD. CAPN13, ACTBL2, ERBB3, GATA4, GNB4, NOTCH2, EXOSC10, RNF2, PSMA1 and PRKAA1 might contribute to the progression of CAD, which could have potential as biomarkers or therapeutic targets for CAD.
Successful Remote Monitoring During COVID-19 Pandemic of Patients with Inborn Errors of the Amino acid Metabolism not including PKU from a Single Reference center using Filter Paper Samples
Authors: Stanescu Sinziana , Belanger-Quintana Amaya , Arrieta Francisco , Alcaide Patricia , Ruiz-Sala Pedro
Published: December 2020

Background. Patients with inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) pose specific management challenges, considering their multisystem involvement. Among them, children and adults with organic acidemias (OA) and other disorders of the amino acid metabolism have a high risk for severe metabolic events that need to be recognized and promptly treated, and therefore require frequent clinical and biochemical evaluations. The novel highly pathogenic SARS-CoV2 virus appeared in Europe in the first trimester of 2020. This pandemic has a huge impact on the health care systems all over the world, interrupting the follow-up of many chronic diseases. For metabolic patients, travel to reference units may be reduced due to mobility restrictions but more importantly, attendance to medical facilities can be a risk of infection that can be a danger in itself but also trigger a metabolic decompensation.Methods. During the first coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Spain from March to June 2020, we designed a model of remote monitoring of our patients with amino acid disorders using telephone and/or online clinical assessments and using filter paper samples to continue the biochemical control. Results. Fourteen patients with inborn errors of amino acid metabolism other than PKU received filter papers and instructions to collect blood and urine samples home and send them to our reference laboratory. Conclusions. Considering the COVID19 pandemic evolution, new strategies to ensure IEM patients have an evaluation continuity need to be implemented. We believe that blood and urine filter paper biochemical follow-up, together with online or telephone clinical assessments, can help minimize the need for in-hospital visits.