bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Palliative Psychiatry for Patients with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness: A Survey on the Attitudes of Psychiatrists in India compared to Psychiatrists in Switzerland
Authors: Stoll Julia , Mathew Anju , Venkateswaran Chitra , Prabhakaran Anil , Westermair Anna Lisa , Trachsel Manuel
Published: September 2021

Background

Palliative psychiatry is a new approach for the care of patients with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI). To assess the attitudes of psychiatrists in India towards palliative psychiatry for patients with SPMI and to compare these to the attitudes of psychiatrists in Switzerland.
Methods

In an online survey, data from 206 psychiatrists in India were collected and compared with data from a previous survey among 457 psychiatrists in Switzerland.
Results

Psychiatrists in India generally considered it very important to prevent suicide in SPMI patients (97.6%). At the same time, they considered it very important to reduce suffering (98.1%) and to ensure functionality in everyday life (95.6%). They agreed that palliative psychiatry is important for providing optimal care to SPMI patients without life-limiting illness (79.6%) and considered palliative psychiatry as indicated for patients with SPMI (78.2%). By contrast, curing the illness was considered very important by only 39.8 % of respondents. Relative to psychiatrists in Switzerland, psychiatrists in India were significantly more concerned about preventing suicide and less willing to accept a reduction in life expectancy, even at the expense of quality of life in patients with severe and persistent schizophrenia and recurrent major depressive disorder. At the same time, they were significantly more likely to advocate palliative psychiatry.
Conclusion

Most of the participating psychiatrists in India agreed that palliative psychiatry can be indicated for patients with SPMI. The comparison with psychiatrists in Switzerland highlights the need to take account of cultural differences in future studies of this kind.
A Study on Changes in Plasma Cholinesterase in Patients with Acute Primary Angle Closure
Authors: Tian Tian , Cai Yu , Li Mei , Fang Yuan , Pan Yingzi
Published: September 2021

Purpose

To analyze the differences in plasma cholinesterase (pChE) among patients with acute primary angle closure (APAC), patients with chronic primary angle closure glaucoma (CPACG) and normal people scheduled for cataract surgery and to analyze the relationship between intraocular pressure (IOP) and pChE in order to explore the significance of pChE in the pathogenesis of glaucoma.
Methods

Retrospective case series. Nighty-four patients with APAC, 72 patients with CPACG and 95 normal controls were enrolled in this study. All patients excluding those with diseases that may affect pChE underwent routine blood biochemical examination. Pearson correlation analysis was used to further analyze the correlation of IOP with pChE.
Results

There was no significant difference in age or sex among the three groups. The difference in IOP among the APAC (43.8 ± 12.2 mmHg), CPACG (25.6 ± 7.4 mmHg) and normal groups (13.6 ± 1.8 mmHg) was significant (P = 0.000). There was a significant difference in pChE between patients with APAC (7450.89 ± 1748.49 IU/L) and normal subjects (7994.68 ± 1321.90 IU/L) (P = 0.000) and between patients with APAC and those with CPACG (7969.44 ± 1572.14 IU/L) (P = 0.000). There was no significant difference in pChE between CPACG patients and normal subjects (P = 0.932). There was a moderate negative correlation between IOP and pChE in APAC patients (r = -0.410, P = 0.000), while there was no significant correlation in CPACG patients (P = 0.228) or normal subjects (P = 0.341).
Conclusion

APAC patients with higher IOP had lower pChE, which may have been related to IOP-induced neuroinflammation. It may provide a new strategy for optic nerve protection in glaucoma patients.
Identifying Clinical Phenotypes in Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants – A Machine Learning Approach
Authors: Matsushita Felipe Yu , Krebs Vera Lucia Jornada , de Carvalho Werther Brunow
Published: September 2021

There is increasing evidence that patient heterogeneity significantly hinders advancement in clinical trials and individualized care. This study aimed to identify distinct phenotypes in extremely low birth weight infants. We performed an agglomerative hierarchical clustering on principal components. Cluster validation was performed by cluster stability assessment with bootstrapping method. A total of 215 newborns (median gestational age 27 [26–29] weeks) were included in the final analysis. Six clusters with different clinical and laboratory characteristics were identified: the “Mature” (Cluster 1; n = 60, 27.9%), the mechanically ventilated with “adequate ventilation” (Cluster 2; n = 40, 18.6%), the mechanically ventilated with “poor ventilation” (Cluster 3; n = 39, 18.1%), the “extremely immature” (Cluster 4; n = 39, 18.1%%), the neonates requiring “Intensive Resuscitation” in the delivery room (Cluster 5; n = 20, 9.3%), and the “Early septic” group (Cluster 6; n = 17, 7.9%). In-hospital mortality rates were 11.7%, 25%, 56.4%, 61.5%, 45%, and 52.9%, while severe intraventricular hemorrhage rates were 1.7%, 5.3%, 29.7%, 47.2%, 44.4%, and 28.6% in clusters 1,2,3,4,5, and 6, respectively (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Our cluster analysis in extremely preterm infants was able to characterize six distinct phenotypes. Future research should explore how better phenotypic characterization of neonates might improve care and prognosis.
Neuroprotective Effects of Propylgallate Against Oxidative Stress in Retinal Ganglion Cells
Authors: Lu Zhanjun , Xiao Qin , Lu Jinsong , Tao Chun , Ma Ruitong , Wang Eerdun
Published: September 2021

Background: Diabetic retinopathy is a group of eye diseases which result in damage to the optic nerve and vision loss, it has seriously affect peoples' health. The purpose of this study is to contrast the neuroprotective effects of curcumin, gastrodin, propylgallate, adenosine. At the same time, we preliminarily explore the molecular mechanism of protective drugs.Methods: In this study, we used 500μM H2O2 treated RGC-5 cells to induce a cellular oxidative stress model. We treated this cell model with four drug monomers: Propylgallate, Curcumin, Gastrodin and Adenosine to find drug monomers with neuroprotective effect. We used apoptosis PCR array to obtain apoptosis related genes regulated by neuroprotective drugs.Results: We found the Propylgallate treated RGC-5 cells had highest survival rate when compared to Curcumin, Gastrodin, Adenosine treated RGC-5 cells.In addition, it had lowest cell cytotoxicity and apoptotic rate when compared to Curcumin, Gastrodin, Adenosine treated RGC-5 cells.Moreover, the expression of ROS in Propylgallate treated RGC-5 cells was lowest when compared to Curcumin, Gastrodin, Adenosine treated RGC-5 cells. We found that Caspase-3, Caspase-8, and Caspase-9 are the main target genes of Propylgallate which can preliminarily explain the neuroprotective mechanism of Propylgallate against apoptosis..Conclusion: The present study revealed that the propylgallate has best neuroprotective effects, it may provide a promissing drug to prevent and improve the damage of optic nerve. In this article, we also preliminarily expounded the neuroprotective molecular mechanism of Propylgallate.
Influencing Trend and Extent of Combined Exposure Levels of Total Arsenic and Inorganic Arsenic on Arsenic Methylation Capacity Among University Students: Findings from Bayesian Analysis Using Kernel Machine Regression
Authors: Jiang Rui , Zhang Qing , Ji Dongmei , Jiang Tingting , Hu Yuan , He Shitao , Tao Long , Shen Juan , Zhang Wei , Song Yuxiang , Ma Yicheng , Tong Shilu , Tao Fangbiao , Yao Yuyou , Liang Chunmei
Published: September 2021

The arsenic (As) methylation capacity is an important determinant of the susceptibility to arsenic-related diseases. Total As (TAs) or inorganic As (iAs) was reported to associate with As methylation capacity individually, however, influencing trend and extent of their combined exposure levels on methylation capacity remains poorly understood. We measured urinary concentrations of iAs, monomethylarsonic (MMA), and dimethylarsinic (DMA) acids using HPLC-HG-AFS, and calculated the primary (PMI: (MMA+DMA)/TAs) and secondary (SMI: DMA/(MMA+DMA)) methylation capacity indexes in 209 university students in Hefei, China, a non-As endemic area. Subjects were given with a standardized questionnaire to inquire their sociodemographic characteristics. Bayesian kernal machine regression (BKMR) analysis was used to estimate the association of lnTAs and lniAs levels with methylation indices (ln%MMA, ln%DMA, lnPMI, lnSMI). The median concentration of iAs, MMA and DMA was 1.22, 0.92 and 12.17 μg/L, respectively; the proportions of iAs, MMA and DMA were 8.76%, 6.13% and 84.84%, respectively. Females had higher %DMA and lower %MMA, while males had lower %DMA and higher %MMA. The combined levels of lnTAs and lniAs showed monotonic decrease in change of ln%DMA and lnSMI other than ln%MMA, additionally, change in ln%PMI was decreased only when levels of lnTAs and lniAs were larger than their 60th percentiles compared to they were at 50th percentile. With regard to single exposure level, the lnTAs showed positive correlation with ln%DMA, lnPMI, lnSMI when lniAs was set at a specific level; while lniAs showed negative correlation with ln%DMA, lnPMI, lnSMI when lnTAs was set at a specific level; and all the dose-response relationships were nonlinear. Our results suggested that combined levels of TAs and iAs played an important role in reducing As methylation capacity, expecially iAs; and the reduction only occured when TAs and iAs were up to a certain combined level.
Possible Health Assessment For Heavy Metal Concentration in Water, Sediment, and Fish Species and Pregnant Women’s Biomonitoring in Miankaleh Peninsula, Iran
Authors: Esmaili-sari Abbas , Shaabani Zahra , Moradi Ali Mashinchian , Taghavi Lobat , Farsad Forough
Published: September 2021

A human bio monitoring study, investigating most consumed fish species exposure to heavy metals was done in northern part of Iran, Miankale Peninsula, in winter 2019. Metals levels were evaluated in various tissues of fish, as well as Turkmen pregnant women’s biological indicators. For this purpose, 20 water and sediment, 14 fish and 16 human samples were collected. Concentration of Cr, Co, Cu, As, Hg and Pb metals were determined by ICP-MS device. The highest mean concentration of Cu and Cr in water (93.35 and 80.91 µg/l respectively), Hg and Pb in sediment (7.4 µg/g for both), Cu and Pb in liver (27 and18.9 µg/g for C.carpio; 1414 and 31.7 µg/g for L.auratus), muscle (10 and 18.8 for C.carpio; 37.2 and 8.27 µg/g for L.auratus), and skin (26.4 and 9.9 for C.carpio; 10.8 and 11.74 µg/g for L.auratus) of both fish species, and Cu in blood (2.53 mg/l), hair (8.87 µg/g), fingernail (36.46 µg/g), and toenail (29.04 µg/g) samples were observed, while Co had the lowest concentration in all samples. Liver in fish samples and fingernail in pregnant women were the tissues with the highest heavy metals accumulation, whereas the lowest concentrations of heavy metals were observed in the muscles of fish species and pregnant women’s blood sample. Hg concentration in water and sediments, the muscle of fish, and pregnant women’s blood and hair samples were higher than the values suggested by various organizations. This study showed that the level of heavy metals, especially Hg, in water, sediments and fish is a threat to human health. Therefore, it is recommended that the necessary information about the consumption of seafood with high amounts of Hg should be provided in this area.
Knowledge and Surgical Strategies for Successful Laparoscopic Caudate Lobectomy, a Comprehensive Literature Review
Authors: Anselmo Alessandro , Vinci Danilo , Siragusa Leandro , Vita Giuseppe , Pellicciaro Marco , Tisone Giuseppe
Published: September 2021

Laparoscopic approach in patients presenting caudate lobe lesions has always been considered prohibitive as technically demanding, so that the role of minimally invasive surgery for this posterior and deep location is still debated. Recently some studies presented cases of laparoscopic caudate lobectomy discussing how to manage technical challenges and providing excellent results. Innovative technologies for laparoscopic liver surgery are likely to improve the feasibility and reproducibility of laparoscopic liver resections in the near future especially for lesions located in the so called “difficult segments”.Still, laparoscopic caudate lobectomy remains unfamiliar to many surgeons and there are relatively few reports in the literature on this subject. For this reason, we conducted a comprehensive review of the literature to understand the safety and feasibility of LCL resections and discuss current and future perspectives.
Histopathological Effects and Micronucleus Assay of Glyphosate-Based Herbicides on Cultured African Catfish (Clarias Gariepinus, Burchell 1822)
Authors: Alarape Selim Adewale , Adebiyi Oyindamola Emmanuel , Adeyemo Olanike Kudirat
Published: September 2021

Background: Glyphosate, a brand of agricultural herbicides which intensive use has led to widespread contamination of different ecosystems. This study was designed to determine both organotoxicity and genotoxicity of glyphosate on African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) exposed to different concentrations for 96 hours.Methods: Questionnaires were administered (physically and online) to determine the type of glyphosate-based herbicides mostly used by fish farmers. Seventy-five apparently healthy adult Clarias gariepinus (300g) were sourced from a local farmer, transported in a plastic keg to Fish and Wildlife Laboratory at the Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive medicine for two (2) weeks of acclimatization. After acclimatization, they were further divided into four (4) groups (T0 (Control), T1 (0.003ml/L), T2 (0.0045ml/L) and T3 (0.006ml/L)) by simple randomization and each group replicated into three (3) treatments. At the expiration of 96 hours of exposure, blood samples and organs (Gills, Kidney, and Liver) were collected for mononuclear assay and histopathological lesions respectively.Results: Exposed groups showed erratic swimming, splashing, and restlessness. Mortalities rate was dose-dependent (two (2) mortalities at 0.0045ml/L concentration (T2) and five (5) mortalities 0.006ml/L concentration (T3)). Observed histopathological lesions occurred at higher dose treatment (0.0045ml/L (T2) and (0.006ml/L) T3)) concentrations. The gills showed diffuse stunted and eroded secondary lamellae and severe congestion of the blood channel at the core of the primary lamellae. Lesions in the Liver include severe diffuse vacuolation of the hepatocytes, moderate to severe portal congestion and mild diffuse vacuolation of hepatocytes and moderate diffuse vacuolation of hepatocytes, and severe portal congestion. In the kidney, there was mild to moderate congestion of the interstitium and focus of interstitial oedema within the parenchyma. There was presence of micronucleus in the fish nucleated red blood cells at higher dose concentrations.Conclusion: This study showed that Glyphosate-based herbicides are highly toxic to Clarias gariepinus, therefore their use near the fish farm or in areas close to the aquatic environment should be discouraged. The agricultural community should also be conscious of the potentially adverse effects of pesticides. This is to prevent the water body from the residue of herbicides that would have washed down to the water.
WITHDRAWN: Effect of Nalbuphine Combined With Intravenous Propofol for Anesthesia During Intestinal Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection in the Elderly
Authors: Liu Jingjing , Zhan Biwei , Zeng Yongjun
Published: September 2021

Objective: To investigate the effects of different doses of nalbuphine combined with an intravenous propofol pump for anesthesia during intestinal endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) in the elderly.Methods: A total of 85 elderly patients attending the Hanchuan People's Hospital from January 2016 to January 2018 were divided into low, medium, and high dose groups according to the intravenous dosing of nalbuphine given with a continuous propofol pump.The heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and blood oxygen saturation (SaO2) were evaluated at five different time points (T1-T2).The levels of norepinephrine (NE), cortisol and blood glucose were intervals recorded. The occurrence of adverse reactions, hospitalization days, visual analogue scale (VAS) score, Ramsay sedation, and wake score after waking from anesthesia were assessed. Neurocognitive function was assessed at discharge and after surgery using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Results: MR, MAP and SaO2 decreased significantly at T0-T4 in tested groups. The levels of NE, Cor, and Glu were significantly increased in three groups at T1-T3 and decreased among the medium-dose group. There was no statistically significant difference between the three groups in the total duration of anesthesia and the operative duration. The medium-dose group was performing significantly better than the low and high dose groups in clinical indicators. The postoperative VAS and Ramsay scores were higher in the low dose group (P＜0.05). There was a significant difference in neurocognitive function scores and no significant differences in postoperative anesthesia satisfaction and hospitalization days were observed amongst the three groups (P>0.05).Conclusions: The use of nalbuphine (0.1 mg/kg) combined with propofol for anesthesia during intestinal ESD in the elderly can shorten recovery times and reduce the incidence of postoperative adverse events and neurocognitive disorders.
Thiamine Alleviates Cognitive Impairment and Epileptogenesis by Relieving Brain Inflammation in PTZ-induced Kindling Rat Model
Authors: KARABULUT SEBAHATTİN , Filiz Ahmet Kemal , Akkaya Recep
Published: September 2021

Epileptogenesis, the process by which the brain becomes epileptic, is related to neuroinflammation, hyperexcitability, and as a result cognitive deficits. Evidence suggests that therapeutic strategies targeting pathologic brain inflammation have emerged as a promising approach that prevents or disease-modifying therapy for epileptogenesis. Therefore, the PTZ kindling model of epilepsy was utilized to assess the neuroprotective role of thiamine in epileptogenesis. Male rats were exposed to PTZ-induced kindling and pretreated with low thiamine (25 mg/kg) or high thiamine (50 mg/kg). Cyclooxygenase (COX-1 and COX-2), interleukin 1-beta (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) concentrations in the brain were analyzed using biochemical assays. Cognitive function was evaluated using the passive avoidance test. Thiamine ameliorated epileptogenesis and enhanced the rats' performance in the passive avoidance test. Also, thiamine significantly decreased the level of neuroinflammatory mediators in the brain induced by PTZ. These results provide evidence that thiamine alleviates PTZ-induced neuroinflammation and cognitive impairments.
Hippocampal Metabolic Subregions and Networks: Behavioral, Molecular and Pathological Aging Profiles
Authors: Balajoo Somayeh Maleki , Eickhoff Simon B. , Masouleh Shahrzad Kharabian , Plachti Anna , Waite Laura , Hoffstaedter Felix , Palomero-Gallagher Nicola , Genon Sarah
Published: September 2021

Purpose: Hippocampal dysfunction happens across many neuropsychiatric disorders and is the hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease with evidenced metabolic alterations. However, while metabolic changes are a key aspect of Alzheimer’s disease, hippocampal metabolic networks, as defined by metabolic covariance, haven’t been identified in healthy populations. As the hippocampus portrays cytoarchitectural, connectional, and functional heterogeneity, heterogeneous patterns of metabolic covariance could be expected. Methods: We first characterized this heterogeneity with a data-driven approach by identifying the spatial pattern of hippocampus differentiation based on metabolic covariance with the rest of the brain in FDG-PET data of large healthy elderly cohort (n=362). Then, we characterized the metabolic networks of the robustly defined subregions. In the following, we characterized the disentangled hippocampal metabolic networks with regards to behavioral and neurotransmitter systems using quantitative decoding. Finally, we examined how the local metabolism in the hippocampal subregions is influenced by Alzheimer’s disease pathology in a cohort of ADNI participants (n = 580). Results: Based on hippocampal-brain metabolic covariance in a healthy elderly cohort, we found a differentiation into primarily anterior vs. posterior and secondarily Cornu Ammonis (CA) vs. subiculum subregions. Characterizing the associated metabolic networks revealed that the anterior-subiculum network including temporal-pole and orbitofrontal regions relates to self, motivation and mentalizing behavior and is influenced by dopaminergic systems. In contrast, the posterior-subiculum shows a wide cortical network engaged in action- and world-oriented cognition targeted by serotoninergic systems. The anterior- and posterior-CA, connected respectively to amygdala and broader subcortical networks, are associated to several transporters release. Local metabolism comparison between Alzheimer’s disease-related diagnosis groups revealed early CA’s alterations while posterior subicular alterations appear at advanced stages in line with broader cortical atrophy and behavioral dysfunctions.Conclusion: Future studies should delineate patients’ individual profiles according to hippocampal subregions and networks.
Metformin Inhibits the Phenotypic Transformation of Aortic Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Induced by Hyperglycemia Through Regulation of the Mir-21-mediated PTEN/pAKT/Egr-1 Pathway
Authors: Zheng Hui , Liu Ying , Sun Xiaoyue , Li Xiaochen , Liu Le , Meng Cheng , Li Yongmei , Zhao Shujun , Chang Baocheng , Yang Juhong
Published: September 2021

Background The phenotypic transformation of arterial vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) is one of the key mechanisms in the formation of atherosclerotic plaque. It is unclear whether metformin can inhibit the phenotypic transformation of VSMC. In this study, we observed the effect of metformin on the phenotypic transformation of VSMC in vivo and in vitro and its mechanism.Methods Patients who underwent simple coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) were divided into non-diabetic(non-DM) group and diabetes (DM) group according to whether diabetes was combined. The miR-21 and VSMC contractile marker protein, smooth muscle contractile protein (αSMA) and synthetic marker protein osteopontin (OPN) were isolated from the internal mammary artery.30 male, clean, and 6 week old wild type C57/BL6J mice were randomly divided into 3 groups:the control group (NC), the diabetes mellitus group (DM) and the metformin intervention group(DM+MET).Diabetic mice model was established by high-fat diet combined with low-dose streptozotocin. Metformin was given by gavage for 8 weeks.The aortic tissue from aortic root to renal artery was retained, miR-21 was determined by real-time PCR, and SMC and OPN were determined by Western Blotting (WB). In vitro, human aortic smooth muscle cells (HA-SMC) were divided into three groups: control group, HG group and HG+ group. The content of miR-21/PTEN/pAKT/Egr-1 protein was determined by WB, the migration ability was determined by MTT and scratch method.Results 1.In vivo, the expression of miR-21 and OPN in the aortic VSMC of DM petients and diabetic mice increased and the intima media thickness increased. Metformin treatment reduced the expression of miR-21 and OPN in the aorta and decreased the thickness of intima media. 2.In vitro, glucose concentration dependently upregulates the expression of miR-21 and osteopontin in HA-SMC.Conclusion Metformin can inhibit the phenotype transformation of VSMC induced by HG, which may inhibit the migration of VSMC through miR-21/PTEN/pAkt/Egr-1.
DOK1/3/6 Serve as Potential Prognostic Biomarkers and Immunotherapy Targets for Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: deng dawei , zeng lijuan , zhou qi , pan chen , guo fangyue , xiang hong , shang dong
Published: September 2021

Background: Downstream of kinase (DOKs), a family of adapter proteins, are frequently depicted as pivotal components of immune regulation complexes involved in the tumor progression in a wide range of cancers. Regrettably, little is known about the expression patterns and exact roles of 7 identified DOKs in pancreatic cancer (PC). Methods: In this study, we investigated the distinct expression and biological function of DOKs in PC using multiple public databases, including ONCOMINE, GEPIA, cBioPortal, and Kaplan-Meier plotter. The correlations between DOKs and cancer immune infiltrates was investigated via TIMER. In addition, we subsequently verified those in an independent cohort. Results: The expression levels of DOKs were found to be significantly upregulated in PC, interestingly higher DOK1/3/6 expressions were correlated with shorter overall survival (OS). Moreover, DOK1/2/3/5/6 had a dramatical positive correlation with the immune infiltration of PC and programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1). Conclusion: DOK1/3/6 may function as potential prognostic biomarkers and even promising immune checkpoints for PC immunotherapy.
Rep PCR Characterization of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated From Raw Cows’ Milk in Algeria.
Authors: LOMANI Akil , Nielsen Dennis S , Amine Larbi Ahmed , Ahmed Tahri , Ahmed Mediani
Published: September 2021

Milk and indigenous fermented, milk based products are a rich source of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and may serve as a source of potential probiotics. In the present study LAB were isolated from raw cows’ milk sampled at five different Algerian farms. A total of 24 Gram positive, catalase negative isolates where identified to species level using a combination of (GTG) 5-based rep-PCR fingerprinting and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. All isolates were identified as Enterococcus faecium and all isolates had highly similar rep-PCR profiles. Four representative isolates were screened for acid tolerance, bile salts tolerance, antimicrobial susceptibility, antibacterial activity and haemolysis. The four selected strains all exhibited good tolerance to low pH (2, 3, and 4), and to bile salts (concentrations of 0.5%, 1%, and 2%) and were sensitive to chloramphenicol, vancomycin, tetracycline, gentamicine and peniciline G, but were resistant to oxaciline. Cell-free supernatants of the four tested strains all inhibited Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes but not Salmonella Typhi. No haemolytic activity was observed.
Metagenomic Analysis Reveals Associations between Salivary Microbiota and Body Composition in Early Childhood
Authors: Coker Modupe , Lebeaux Rebecca , Hoen Anne , Moroishi Yuka , Gilbert-Diamond Diane , Dade Erika , Palys Thomas , Madan Juliette , Karagas Margaret
Published: September 2021

Several studies have shown that body mass index is strongly associated with differences in gut microbiota, but the relationship between body weight and oral microbiota is less clear. Among more than 200 toddlers in the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study, we characterized the association between multiple anthropometric measures of body mass/growth longitudinally and used shotgun metagenomics to taxonomically and functionally profile the oral microbiome. We found that within-sample diversity was inversely related to body mass measurements while community composition was not associated. Certain taxa were consistently associated with growth and modified by sex. Functional examination also showed concordance between microbial metabolic pathways and child growth metrics. Further exploration of the functional significance of this relationship will enhance our understanding of the intersection between weight gain, microbiota, and energy metabolism and the potential role of these relationships on the onset of obesity-associated diseases in later life.
Multiple Sites of Thrombosis Without Thrombocytopenia After a Second Dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine
Authors: Scendoni Roberto , Petrelli Cristina , Giustozzi Mauro , Logullo Francesco Ottavio
Published: September 2021

BackgroundIn the current international scientific panorama rare cases of venous thrombotic complications following mRNA vaccine administration have been reported, consisting of cerebral sinus thromboses and acute venous thromboembolism. Case presentationThe present paper describes the case of a 75-year-old woman in good health who developed cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT), deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and bilateral pulmonary emboli (PE) after receiving a second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. A series of laboratory tests performed during the hospitalization yielded interesting results, allowing us to exclude thrombophilic risk factors and certify the absence of thrombocytopenia in the patient.ConclusionAlthough COVID-19 vaccination is the most important tool in stopping the pandemic, pharmacovigilance is crucial for detecting potential multisystem thrombotic events, even for mRNA vaccines.
Effect of Microwave Heating On The Mechanical Properties and Energy Dissipation Characteristics of Hard Rock
Authors: Yang Jianming , Liu Jiantian , Guo Hongchen , LI Qingwen , Wang Wei
Published: September 2021

To study the effect of microwave on the weakening mechanism of hard rock, uniaxial compression tests were conducted on granite samples after microwave treatment, and an acoustic emission system was established to monitor the fracture evolution in such rock samples. The effects of microwave irradiation on the stress-strain curve, acoustic emission characteristics, and energy dissipation characteristics of granite were investigated in the experiment. The results show that: 1) With the continuous increase of microwave irradiation power and time, the compaction stage and crack development stage of the sample gradually increase, and the elastic stage gradually becomes shorter; the trend of post-peak stress drop becomes slower, changing from “cliff type” to multi-step type “. The failure of the sample indicates that they become less brittle and more ductile; 2) Microwave irradiation reduces the strength. The overall acoustic emission count rate is weak before the peak and increases rapidly near the peak. The count rate has also changed from sparse to dense, and with the increase in the irradiation power and time, the total acoustic emission count rate increases; 3) From the energy point of view, the weakening of granite by microwave irradiation will not only decrease the energy-storage limit of granite and increase the proportion of dissipated energy in the failure process, but also decrease the rate of release of elastic energy after the peak. Therefore, microwave irradiation will not only reduce the mechanical energy dissipated during damage, but also reduce the intensity of potential dynamic disasters.
Q-Mer Analysis: A Generalized Method for Analyzing RNA-Seq Data
Authors: Shoji Tatsuma , Sato Yoshiharu
Published: September 2021

Background: RNA-Seq data are usually summarized by counting the number of transcript reads aligned to each gene. However, count-based methods do not take alignment information, where and how each read was mapped in the gene, into account. This information is essential to characterize samples accurately. In this study, we developed a method to summarize RNA-Seq data without losing alignment information. Results: To include alignment information, we introduce “q-mer analysis,” which summarizes RNA-Seq data with 4q kinds of q-length oligomers. Using publicly available RNA-Seq datasets, we demonstrate that at least q ≧ 9 is required for capturing alignment information in Homo sapiens. It should be noted that 49 = 262,144 is approximately 10 times larger than the number of genes in H. sapiens (20,022 genes). Furthermore, principal component analysis showed that q-mer analysis with q = 14 linearly distinguished samples from controls, while a count-based method failed. These results indicate that alignment information is essential to characterize transcriptomics samples. Conclusions: In conclusion, we introduce q-mer analysis to include alignment information in RNA-Seq analysis and demonstrate the superiority of q-mer analysis over count-based methods in that q-mer analysis can distinguish case samples from controls. Combining RNA-Seq research with q-mer analysis could be useful for identifying distinguishing transcriptomic features that could provide hypotheses for disease mechanisms.
Exploring ALDH2 Expression and Its Immune Infiltration in HNSC and Its Prognositic Correlation With Gender or Alcohol Intake
Authors: Yao Senbang , Yin Xiangxiang , Chen Tingting , Chen Wenjun , Zuo He , Bi Ziran , Zhang Xiuqing , Jing Yanyan , Pang Lulian , Cheng Huaidong
Published: September 2021

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) point mutation ALDH2*2 is the common frequent human gene variant, espically in East Asians. However, nothing is known about their expression and mechanism of action in HNSC. This research tried to explore the clinical significance and immune characteristics of ALDH2 in HNSC. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was analysed to assessment the diagnostic value of ALDH2 expression. ALDH2 expression in normal tissues and HNSC tissues were evaluated by IHC. Also we analyzed ALDH2 gene expression in 4 HNSC cell lines. ALDH2 expression was significantly reduced in HNSC tissues (p< 0.05). HNSC patients with highly expressed ALDH2 have a better prognosis (p< 0.05). Then, GSEA analysis result pointed that these gene sets were connected with signaling pathways including JAK-STAT signaling pathway. We unexpectedly found a significant prognostic effect of ALDH2 in alcohol consumption and male HNSC patients. The correlation between ALDH2 expression and immunoinhibitors showed a effect for ALDH2 in modifying tumor immunology in HNSC and there may be a possible mechanism by which ALDH2 regulates functions of T cell in HNSC. We developed a nomogram prognostic model for HNSC patients. Moreover, low ALDH2 expression was a poor prognostic factor in male alcoholics of HNSC.
Ultrasonic Diagnostic Strategy for the Causes of Coronary Artery Dilatation in Infants
Authors: Hu Jinling , Ren Weidong
Published: September 2021

Objective:To explore a differential diagnosis strategy for the causes of coronary artery dilatation (CAD) in infants．Methods: Clinical and echocardiography data for 243 infants with CAD from the Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were divided into congenital and acquired groups according to the CAD causes.Results: The lesion detection rate for CAD in 22,925 infants who underwent echocardiography was 1.06% (243/22,925). The acquired group accounted for 84.77% (206/243) of participants, all of which had Kawasaki disease. The congenital group accounted for 15.23% (37/243) of patients, including coronary artery fistula [12.35% (30/243)], anomalous origin of the coronary artery [2.06% (5/243)], severe pulmonary stenosis [0.41% (1/243)], and moderate aortic stenosis [0.41% (1/243)]. There was no significant difference in the Z-score for CAD between the two groups of children (P>0.05). There were differences in the scope and shape of CAD between the two groups (all P<0. 05). Acquired causes mainly manifested as segmental dilatation, while congenital causes manifested as tubular dilatation. The sensitivity and specificity of segmental dilatation in predicting acquired causes were 97.57% and 100%, respectively, and that of tubular dilatation in predicting congenital causes were 97.30% and 98.06%, respectively. Conclusion: It is particularly important to diagnose the cause of CAD because its treatment depends on its etiology. When an echocardiography examination identifies CAD in infants, comprehensive and systematic analysis can quickly and accurately determine the cause of CAD according to the diagnostic strategy process and evaluation of dilatation and cardiac structure characteristics.
A Comparative Study of the Chloroplast Genomes of Five Lepidium Medicinal Plants
Authors: Zhou Qian , Chen Yun , Li Mingyuan , Zeng Weijun , Wang Jilian , Wang Yuzhou , Li Yanhong , Zhao Huixin
Published: September 2021

Background

Herb genomics is a rapidly developing field of medicinal plant research and development. Plant genomic studies demonstrate the unique advantage of employing plants in medicinal therapy. The genus Lepidium falls under the Brassicaceae family and it includes crucial medicinal plants. Herein, we sequenced the complete chloroplast (cp) genomes of Lepidium apetalum (LA) and Lepidium perfoliatum (LP) and assessed their genetic profiles against the reported profiles of Lepidium sativum (LS), Lepidium meyenii (LM), and Lepidium virginicum (LV).
Results

In particular, we examined genomic arrangement, gene number, type, and repeat sequences. Based on our annotation data, both LA and LP possessed 130 distinct genes that included 85 protein-coding, 37 transfer RNA (tRNA), and 8 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. Our repeat analyses revealed that LA harbored 20 forward repeats, 16 palindrome repeats, 30 tandem repeats, and 87 simple sequence repeats, whereas LP had 15 forward repeats, 20 palindrome repeats,4 reverse repeats, 21 tandem repeats, and 98 simple sequence repeats. Using syntenic analysis, we also revealed a high degree of sequence similarity within the coding regions of Lepidium cp genomes and a remarkably high degree of divergence among the intergenic spacers. Pairwise alignment and single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) examinations further revealed certain Lepidium-specific gene fragments, particularly in the intergenic regions of the trnK-atpA, trnC-psbC, trnT-rbcL, ndhF-ndhH, ycf1-trnR, accD, ccsA, matK, ndhF, rpoB, rpoC2, and ycf1 genes. Moreover, following codon usage analysis, we observed that codon 14 was the most frequently used codon in the Lepidium CDS. In addition, correlation investigations revealed that the ENC (the effective number of codon) content was strongly associated with GC3, GC3s, and N.
Conclusion

Based on these data, LA and LP originate from very similar genetic backgrounds. Furthermore, neutrality, ENC, and PR2-plots analyses demonstrated that the CUB (the codon usage bias) of Lepidium cp genome was strongly influenced by mutation and natural selection. Our analysis of the cp genomic sequences of LA and LP will likely enhance breeding, species recognition, phylogenetic evolution, and cp genetic engineering of the Lepidium medicinal plants.
Seismic Site Response of A Large Deep-seated Rock Slope Revealed by Field Monitoring and Geophysical Methods
Authors: Wang Hui , Cui Shenghua , Pei Xiangjun , Zhu Ling , Yang Qingwen , Huang Runqiu
Published: September 2021

Shidaguan Slope (hereinafter short for SDG Slope) is an unstable rock slope with an area of 30.78×104 m2 and a deformation depth of 30-70 m in Maoxian County, Sichuan Province, China. Three seismometers (P2-P4) with high sensitivity were installed at different locations on the unstable part of the slope. P2 and P3 were almost at the same elevation (2221 m and 2247 m), while P4 was the lowest (at 2140 m). Another seismometer (P1) sat in a stable location at a higher elevation (2373 m). 99 shallow earthquakes were analyzed. According to the peak acceleration ratios of three seismometers (P2-P4) on the unstable part and another seismometer (P1) on the stable part, the points at lower elevations showed greater seismic amplification (with the amplification coefficient of 2.64-3.51) than one at a higher elevation. And points at relatively thinner part (23 m thick) of unstable slope showed greater seismic amplification than ones at thick part (60-75 m thick). The same rule was also found in studying the site-epicenter azimuth and earthquake magnitude data. Based on the relationship between amplification coefficient and resistivity and rock core, the seismic response amplification was affected by the lithofacies difference. The lithofacies with resistivity values of 50-100 Ohm.m and RQD values of 0-50 % incurred seismic response amplification, which was restrained by the below lithofacies with resistivity values of 10-50 Ohm.m and ROD values of 0 %. When building on slope areas, the lithofacies difference should be taken into full consideration.
Estimating Malaria Attributable Fractions With Changing Transmission Intensity: Bayesian Latent Class Vs Logistic Models
Authors: Mwai Kennedy , Nkumama Irene , Thairu Amos , Mburu James , Odera Dennis , Kimathi Rinter , Nyamako Lydia , Tuju James , Kinyanjui Samson , Musenge Eustasius , Osier Faith
Published: September 2021

Background Asymptomatic carriage of malaria parasites is common in high transmission intensity areas and confounds clinical case definitions for research studies. This is important for investigations that aim to identify immune correlates of protection from clinical malaria. The proportion of fevers attributable to malaria parasites is widely used to define different thresholds of parasite density associated with febrile episodes. We investigated whether varying intensity of malaria transmission had a significant impact on parasite density thresholds. We used the same dataset to explore an alternative statistical approach using the probability of developing fevers as a choice over threshold cut-offs as the former has been reported to increase predictive power. Methods Data from children monitored longitudinally between 2005 and 2017 from Junju and Chonyi in Kilifi, Kenya were analysed. We compare the performance of Bayesian-latent class and logistic power models in estimating malaria attributable fractions and probabilities of having fever given a parasite density with changing malaria transmission intensity. Zero-inflated beta regressions were used to assess the impact of using probabilities to evaluate anti-merozoite antibodies as correlates of protection compared with multilevel binary regression.ResultsMalaria transmission intensity declined from over 49% to 5% between 2006 and 2017 respectively. During this period, malaria attributable fraction varied between 27%-59% using logistic regression compared to 10%-36% using the Bayesian latent class approach. Both models estimated similar patterns of fevers attributable to malaria with changing transmission intensities. The former performed well in estimating the probabilities of having fever, while the latter was efficient in determining the parasite density threshold. However, compared to the logistic power model, the Bayesian algorithm yielded lower estimates for both attributable fractions and probabilities of fever. In modelling the association of merozoite antibodies and clinical malaria, both approaches resulted in comparable estimates, but the utilization of probabilities had a better statistical fit. ConclusionsMalaria attributable fractions varied with an overall decline in the malaria transmission intensity in this setting but did not significantly impact the outcomes of analyses aimed at identifying immune correlates of protection. These data confirm the statistical advantage of using probabilities over binary data.
Empagliflozin Restores Cardiac Metabolic Flexibility in Diet-induced Obese C57BL6/J Mice
Authors: Xie Bingxian , Ramirez Wesley , Mills Amanda M. , Huckestein Brydie R. , Anderson Moira , Pangburn Martha M. , Lang Eric Y. , Mullet Steven J. , Chuan Byron W. , Guo Lanping , Sipula Ian , O’Donnell Christopher P. , Wendell Stacy G. , Scott Iain , Jurczak Michael
Published: September 2021

BackgroundSodium-glucose co-transporter type 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor therapy to treat type 2 diabetes unexpectedly reduced all-cause mortality and hospitalization due to heart failure in several large-scale clinical trials, and has since been shown to produce similar cardiovascular disease-protective effects in patients without diabetes. How SGLT2 inhibitor therapy improves cardiovascular disease outcomes remains incompletely understood. Metabolic flexibility refers to the ability of a cell or organ to adjust its use of metabolic substrates, such as glucose or fatty acids, in response to physiological or pathophysiological conditions, and is a feature of a healthy heart that may be lost during diabetic cardiomyopathy and in the failing heart. While several studies have addressed metabolic changes in hearts in response to SGLT2 inhibitor therapy, none have specifically assessed metabolic flexibility in an in vivo system. We therefore undertook the described studies to determine the effects of SGLT2 inhibitor therapy on cardiac metabolic flexibility in vivo in obese, insulin resistant mice.MethodsDiet-induced obese mice were treated with the SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin (EMPA; 10 mg/kg/d) for four weeks prior to study and compared with untreated obese and lean controls. We assessed changes in body weight and composition, plasma metabolites in response to fasting/re-feeding, cardiac hypertrophy by echocardiography, the response to ischemic stress following coronary artery ligation, as well as cardiac-specific rates of relative glucose and fatty acid utilization using a [U13C]-glucose infusion during fasting and hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp.ResultsEMPA-treated mice presented with reduced cardiac hypertrophy and protection from ischemic stress compared with obese controls. In the fasted state, relative rates of cardiac glucose and fatty acid utilization were similar in control and EMPA-treated mice. During the hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp, rates of cardiac glucose utilization and metabolic flexibility were reduced in obese compared with lean mice, and EMPA-treatment partially restored both features. ConclusionsSGLT2 inhibitor therapy restored cardiac metabolic flexibility in obese, insulin resistant mice, and was associated with reduced cardiac hypertrophy and protection from ischemia. These observations suggest that the cardiovascular disease-protective effects of SGLT2 inhibitors may in part be explained by beneficial effects on cardiac metabolic substrate selection.
Enhanced All-optical Y-shaped Plasmonic NAND Gate Model, Analysis, and Simulation for High Speed Computations
Authors: Charles Ipshitha , Sreev Alluru , Krishna SabbiVamshi , Swarnakar Sandip , Kumar Santosh
Published: September 2021

In this digital era, all-optical logic gates (OLGs) proved its effectiveness in execution of high-speed computations. A unique construction for all optical NAND gate based on the notion of power combiner employing metal–insulator–metal (MIM) waveguide in the Y-shape in a minimal imprint of 6.2 µm × 3 µm is presented and the structure is evaluated by finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) technique. The insertion loss (IL) and extinction-ratio (ER) for proposed model are 6 dB and 27.76 dB. The simplified model is used in the construction of complex circuits to achieve greater efficiency, which contributes to the emergence of a new technique for designing plasmonic integrated circuits.