bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Body Fat Distribution on Postural Balance and Muscle Quality in Women Aged 60 Years and Over
Authors: Neri Silvia G.R. , Pereira Juscelia Cristina , de David Ana Cristina , Lima Ricardo M.
Published: March 2021

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of body fat distribution on postural balance and lower-limb muscle quality in women aged 60 years and over. Two hundred and twenty-two volunteers took part in this cross-sectional analysis. Participants underwent body fat distribution assessment using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and were classified as nonobese, gynoid obese, or android obese. Postural balance was assessed during quiet standing, with and without vision restriction, using a force platform. Specific torque was defined as the ratio of knee extensors peak torque (evaluated by an isokinetic dynamometer) to the lean mass of the same limb (evaluated by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry). Compared with nonobese participants, both obese groups exhibited higher range of postural sway along the anteroposterior and mediolateral axes (P < .05). However, there were no differences between participants with gynoid and android obesity. The android obese group exhibited greater speed of postural sway in the condition without vision restriction than both nonobese (P = .040) and gynoid obese (P = .004) groups. Regarding muscle quality, only participants with gynoid obesity (P = .004) presented lower specific torque than their nonobese peers. These results may be clinically useful when designing falls prevention exercises targeting the obese population.
Effect of Acute Exercise and Cycling Desk on Energy Intake and Appetite Response to Mental Work: The CORTEX Study
Authors: Thivel David , Genin Pauline , Fillon Alicia , Khammassi Marwa , Roche Johanna , Beaulieu Kristine , Finlayson Graham , Chaput Jean-Philippe , Duclos Martine , Tremblay Angelo , Pereira Bruno , Metz Lore
Published: March 2021

Background: While mental work has been shown to favor overconsumption, the present study compared the effect of a cognitive task alone, followed by acute exercise, or performed on a cycling desk, on short-term food intake and appetite in adults.Methods: A total of 19 normal-weight adults randomly completed: resting session (CON), 30-minute cognitive task (CT), 30-minute cognitive task followed by a 15-minute high-intensity interval exercise bout (CT–EX), and 30-minute cognitive task performed on a cycling desk (CT-CD). Energy expenditure was estimated (heart rate–workload relationship), and energy intake (EI; ad libitum) and appetite (visual analog scales) were assessed.Results: Energy expenditure was higher in CT-EX (P < .001) compared with the other conditions and in CT-CD compared with CON and CT (P < .01). EI was higher in CON (P < .05) and CT-CD compared with CT (P < .01). Relative EI was higher in CON compared with CT (P < .05) and lower in CT-EX compared with CT, CT-CD, and CON (allPs < .001). Area under the curve desire to eat was higher in CON compared with CT (P < .05) and CT-EX (P < .01). Area under the curve prospective food consumption was higher in CON compared with CT-EX (P < .01). Overall composite appetite score was not different between conditions.Conclusion: While cycling desks are recommended to break up sedentary time, the induced increase in energy expenditure might not be enough to significantly reduce overall short-term relative EI after mental work.
Durable memories and efficient neural coding through mnemonic training using the method of loci
Authors: Wagner I. C. , Konrad B. N. , Schuster P. , Weisig S. , Repantis D. , Ohla K. , Kühn S. , Fernández G. , Steiger A. , Lamm C. , Czisch M. , Dresler M.
Published: March 2021

Mnemonic training boosts long-lasting memories, supported by optimized brain processing and consolidation.
Neonatal wearable device for colorimetry-based real-time detection of jaundice with simultaneous sensing of vitals
Authors: Inamori Go , Kamoto Umihiro , Nakamura Fumika , Isoda Yutaka , Uozumi Azusa , Matsuda Ryosuke , Shimamura Masaki , Okubo Yusuke , Ito Shuichi , Ota Hiroki
Published: March 2021

Compact, light neonatal jaundice sensors based on a colorimetric method were developed for wearables.
A single-molecule electrical approach for amino acid detection and chirality recognition
Authors: Liu Zihao , Li Xingxing , Masai Hiroshi , Huang Xinyi , Tsuda Susumu , Terao Jun , Yang Jinlong , Guo Xuefeng
Published: March 2021

A single-molecule electrical method is developed for precisely realizing amino acid detection and chirality recognition.
The cryo-EM structure of an ERAD protein channel formed by tetrameric human Derlin-1
Authors: Rao Bing , Li Shaobai , Yao Deqiang , Wang Qian , Xia Ying , Jia Yi , Shen Yafeng , Cao Yu
Published: March 2021

The structure of human Derlin-1 reveals the mechanism of misfolded protein transport across the ER membrane.
Adaptive Laboratory Evolution Restores Solvent Tolerance in Plasmid-Cured Pseudomonas putida S12: a Molecular Analysis
Authors: Kusumawardhani Hadiastri , Furtwängler Benjamin , Blommestijn Matthijs , Kaltenytė Adelė , van der Poel Jaap , Kolk Jan , Hosseini Rohola , de Winde Johannes H.
Published: March 2021

Sustainable production of high-value chemicals can be achieved by bacterial biocatalysis. However, bioproduction of biopolymers and aromatic compounds may exert stress on the microbial production host and limit the resulting yield.
Genome Sequences of Five Novel Neisseria gonorrhoeae Sequence Types Isolated in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Authors: Mitchev Nireshni , Allam Mushal , Kwenda Stanford , Mnyameni Florah , Ismail Arshad , Niehaus Abraham J. , Ramsuran Veron , Garrett Nigel , Singh Ravesh , Mlisana Koleka P.
Published: March 2021

Africa has the highest incidence of
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
infections globally, but data on these isolates is scarce. Here, we report six
N. gonorrhoeae
genome sequences with five novel sequence types isolated from patients with uncomplicated genitourinary gonorrhea in South Africa.
Draft Genome Sequences of Seven Vibrio cholerae Isolates from Adult Patients in Qatar
Authors: Al Malki Ameena , Brumfield Kyle D. , Tsui Clement K. M. , Anand Anjana , Rashed Shah M. , Ibrahim Emad , Al Shamari Hamad , Huq Anwar , Colwell Rita R. , Fotedar Rashmi
Published: March 2021

We report the draft genome sequences of seven
Vibrio cholerae
isolates from patients. Four isolates were profiled as multilocus sequence type 69, serogroup O1, a subset of seventh-pandemic El Tor clonal isolates. Presented here are genome assemblies and evidence for major pathogenicity islands, virulence factors, and antimicrobial resistance genes.
Searles Lake evaporite sequences: Indicators of late Pleistocene/Holocene lake temperatures, brine evolution, and pCO2
Authors: Olson Kristian J. , Lowenstein Tim K.
Published: March 2021

Searles Lake, California, was a saline-alkaline lake that deposited >25 non-clastic minerals that record the history of lake chemistry and regional climate. Here, the mineralogy and petrography from the late Pleistocene/Holocene (32–6 ka) portion of a new Searles Lake sediment core, SLAPP-SRLS17, is combined with thermodynamic models to determine the geochemical and paleoclimate conditions required to produce the observed mineral phases, sequences, and abundances. The models reveal that the primary precipitates formed by open system (i.e., fractional crystallization), whereas the early diagenetic salts formed by salinity-driven closed system back-reactions (i.e., equilibrium crystallization). For core SLAPP-SRLS17, the defining evaporite sequence trona → burkeite → halite indicates brine temperatures within a 20–29 °C range, implying thermally insulating lake depths >10 m during salt deposition. Evaporite phases reflect lake water pCO2 consistent with contemporaneous atmospheric values of ∼190–270 ppmv. However, anomalous layers of nahcolite and thenardite indicate pulses of pCO2 > 700–800 ppm, likely due to variable CO2 injection along faults.

Core sedimentology indicates that Searles Lake was continuously perennial between 32 ka and 6 ka such that evaporite units reflect periods of net evaporation but never complete desiccation. Model simulations indicate that cycles of partial evaporation and dilution strongly influence long-term brine evolution by amassing certain species, particularly Cl–, that only occur in late-stage soluble salts. A model incorporating long-term brine dynamics corrects previous mass-balance anomalies and shows that the late Pleistocene/Holocene (32–6 ka) salts are partially inherited from the solutes introduced into earlier lakes going back at least 150 ka.
Estimation of Corrosion Rate of AISI 1016 Steel by the Analysis of Polarization Curves and Using the Method of Measuring Ohmic Resistance
Authors: Rybalka K. V. , Beketaeva L. A. , Davydov A. D.
Published: March 2021

By the example of the study of AISI 1016 steel corrosion in the HCl solution, the potentialities of various methods for determining the corrosion currents are studied. The corrosion rate of steel without polarization is determined using the method of measuring ohmic resistance of test specimen. It is shown that the iterative method used for the analysis of potentiodynamic curves in the vicinity of corrosion potential avoids the complications that arise when the Tafel extrapolation method is used in the absence of pronounced Tafel sections in these curves.
Understanding the implementation (including women’s use) of maternity waiting homes in low-income and middle-income countries: a realist synthesis protocol
Authors: McRae Daphne N , Portela Anayda , Waldron Tamara , Bergen Nicole , Muhajarine Nazeem
Published: March 2021

Introduction

Maternity waiting homes in low-income and middle-income countries provide accommodation near health facilities for pregnant women close to the time of birth to promote facility-based birth and birth with a skilled professional and to enable timely access to emergency obstetric services when needed. To date, no studies have provided a systematic, comprehensive synthesis explaining facilitators and barriers to successful maternity waiting home implementation and whether and how implementation strategies and recommendations vary by context. This synthesis will systematically consolidate the evidence, answering the question, ‘How, why, for whom, and in what context are maternity waiting homes successfully implemented in low-income and middle-income countries?’.

Methods and analysis

Methods include standard steps for realist synthesis: determining the scope of the review, searching for evidence, appraising and extracting data, synthesising and analysing the data and developing recommendations for dissemination. Steps are iterative, repeating until theoretical saturation is achieved. Searching will be conducted in 13 electronic databases with results managed in Eppi-Reviewer V.4. There will be no language, study-type or document-type restrictions. Items documented prior to 1990 will be excluded. To ensure our initial and revised programme theories accurately reflect the experiences and knowledge of key stakeholders, most notably the beneficiaries, interviews will be conducted with maternity waiting home users/nonusers, healthcare staff, policymakers and programme designers. All data will be analysed using context–mechanism–outcome configurations, refined and synthesised to produce a final programme theory.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval for the project will be obtained from the Mozambican National Bioethical Commission, Jimma University College of Health Sciences Institutional Review Board and the University of Saskatchewan Bioethical Research Ethics Board. To ensure results of the evaluation are available for uptake by a wide range of stakeholders, dissemination will include peer-reviewed journal publication, a plain-language brief, and conference presentations to stakeholders’ practice audiences.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42020173595.
Molecular correlates of response to nivolumab at baseline and on treatment in patients with RCC
Authors: Ross-Macdonald Petra , Walsh Alice M , Chasalow Scott D , Ammar Ron , Papillon-Cavanagh Simon , Szabo Peter M , Choueiri Toni K , Sznol Mario , Wind-Rotolo Megan
Published: March 2021

Background

Nivolumab is an immune checkpoint inhibitor targeting the programmed death-1 receptor that improves survival in a subset of patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). In contrast to other tumor types that respond to immunotherapy, factors such as programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) status and tumor mutational burden show limited predictive utility in ccRCC. To address this gap, we report here the first molecular characterization of nivolumab response using paired index lesions, before and during treatment of metastatic ccRCC.

Methods

We analyzed gene expression and T-cell receptor (TCR) clonality using lesion-paired biopsies provided in the CheckMate 009 trial and integrated the results with their PD-L1/CD4/CD8 status, genomic mutation status and serum cytokine assays. Statistical tests included linear mixed models, logistic regression models, Fisher’s exact test, and Kruskal-Wallis rank-sum test.

Results

We identified transcripts related to response, both at baseline and on therapy, including several that are amenable to peripheral bioassays or to therapeutic intervention. At both timepoints, response was positively associated with T-cell infiltration but not associated with TCR clonality, and some non-Responders were highly infiltrated. Lower baseline T-cell infiltration correlated with elevated transcription of Wnt/β-catenin signaling components and hypoxia-regulated genes, including the Treg chemoattractant CCL28. On treatment, analysis of the non-responding patients whose tumors were highly T-cell infiltrated suggests association of the RIG-I-MDA5 pathway in their nivolumab resistance. We also analyzed our data using previous transcriptional classifications of ccRCC and found they concordantly identified a molecular subtype that has enhanced nivolumab response but is sunitinib-resistant.

Conclusion

Our study describes molecular characteristics of response and resistance to nivolumab in patients with metastatic ccRCC, potentially impacting patient selection and first-line treatment decisions.

Trial registration number

NCT01358721.
Soybean and soil responses to biochar amendment in controlled environments with elevated temperature and carbon dioxide
Authors: Jiang Runshan W. , Galo Mae , Oelbermann Maren
Published: March 2021

Warmer atmospheric temperatures (eT) will increase plant nutrient uptake, and elevated atmospheric CO2 (eCO2) is expected to enhance plant growth, whereas a multicomponent eTeCO2 effect should also be beneficial for agroecosystems. Our goal was to understand if single- (eT, eCO2) or multicomponent (eTeCO2) climate effects, predicted for southern Ontario, Canada, will affect soybean and soil properties differently when soil is amended with manure and biochar (MB) or with manure, nitrogen (N) fertilizer, and biochar (MNB) compared with the addition of manure and N fertilizer (MN). We hypothesized that biochar regulates climate effects and causes soybean and soil properties to be similar to ambient climate conditions than soil without biochar. However, soil amended with biochar functioned independently of single- or multicomponent climate effects. Soybean pod and shoot biomass, shoot height, and shoot:root ratio were greater (p < 0.05) with eT. eCO2 increased (p < 0.05) shoot biomass coinciding with an increase (p < 0.05) in nutrient uptake and uptake efficiency. All climate effects decreased (p < 0.05) soluble carbon (C), available N (NH4+ and NO3−), and the C/N ratio but increased (p < 0.05) orthophosphate. Amendment type MNB decreased (p < 0.05) soil microbial biomass carbon, but climate effects did not affect microbial biomass (p < 0.05). However, climate effects influenced how C and N were accessed by microbes in all amendment types, shifting (p < 0.05) microbial community structure, species richness, and diversity. We rejected our hypothesis and concluded that biochar amended soil does not strongly influence soybean and soil properties, and it does not provide a greater ability for soybeans and soil to cope with climate effects.
Effects of synthesizing time and Eu2+ concentration on photoluminescence properties of Ca2−xEuxMgSi2O7 phosphors
Authors: Fan Yu , Chen Chin-Ta , Wang Yen-Tsu , Yang Cheng-Fu
Published: March 2021

Phosphors with the compositions of [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text], 0.015, 0.025, 0.035, and 0.045) are synthesized in a reduction atmosphere (5% H2 + 95% N2) using a solid-state reaction method. At first, the [Formula: see text] powder is synthesized at 1350[Formula: see text]C with a duration of [Formula: see text] h to find the optimum synthesizing time. SEM images show that the particle sizes increase with synthesizing time and as the synthesizing time is more than 4 h, the abnormal particles appear and the intensities at the emission peaks of photoluminescence excitation (PLE) and photoluminescence emission (PL) spectra decrease. Next, 1350[Formula: see text]C and 4 h are used as synthesized parameters, which are used to find the concentration quench effect of [Formula: see text] phosphors. As the concentration of [Formula: see text] ions of [Formula: see text] phosphors increases, the intensities at the emission peaks of PLE and PL spectra first increase and reach the maximum values at [Formula: see text], and then they decrease as the concentration of [Formula: see text] ions further increases. These results prove that the synthesizing time and concentration of [Formula: see text] ions are two important factors to affect the photoluminescence properties of [Formula: see text] phosphors.
Profile of Women Entrepreneurs in Tunisia and Their Choice of Entrepreneurial Career: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Salem Anis Ben , Malek Adnane , Chka Hajer
Published: March 2021

Women’s entrepreneurship has taken its position in the sphere of entrepreneurship research as well as in the business world. Several features and attributes characterize and distinguish women entrepreneurs across countries. This paper aims at identifying and discerning the various factors influencing the entrepreneurial career of Tunisian women entrepreneurs and the impediments they face. For this, a qualitative exploratory study was conducted with a sample of 23 women entrepreneurs in Tunisia. This study shows the existence of several factors spurring the entrepreneurial career of the women entrepreneurs, including personal, social and environmental factors as well as following obstacles.
KArSL
Authors: Sidig Ala Addin I. , Luqman Hamzah , Mahmoud Sabri , Mohandes Mohamed
Published: March 2021

Sign language is the major means of communication for the deaf community. It uses body language and gestures such as hand shapes, lib patterns, and facial expressions to convey a message. Sign language is geography-specific, as it differs from one country to another. Arabic Sign language is used in all Arab countries. The availability of a comprehensive benchmarking database for ArSL is one of the challenges of the automatic recognition of Arabic Sign language. This article introduces KArSL database for ArSL, consisting of 502 signs that cover 11 chapters of ArSL dictionary. Signs in KArSL database are performed by three professional signers, and each sign is repeated 50 times by each signer. The database is recorded using state-of-art multi-modal Microsoft Kinect V2. We also propose three approaches for sign language recognition using this database. The proposed systems are Hidden Markov Models, deep learning images’ classification model applied on an image composed of shots of the video of the sign, and attention-based deep learning captioning system. Recognition accuracies of these systems indicate their suitability for such a large number of Arabic signs. The techniques are also tested on a publicly available database. KArSL database will be made freely available for interested researchers.
Optimal Selective Maintenance Decision-Making for Consecutive-Mission Systems with Variable Durations and Limited Maintenance Time
Authors: Gao Huiying , Zhang Xiaoqiang , Yang Xiaoqiang , Zheng Bo
Published: March 2021

Maintenance is inevitable for repairable components or systems in modern industries. Since the maintenance effectiveness has a great influence on the subsequent operations and in addition, different maintenance options are possible for the components of the system during the break between any two successive missions, the optimal selective maintenance strategy needs to be determined for a system performing successive missions. A number of selective maintenance models were set up on the basis that the durations of each mission are predetermined, the maintenance time is negligible, and the states of the components at the end of the previous mission can be accurately obtained. However, in the actual industrial and military missions, these premises may not always hold. In this paper, a novel selective maintenance model under uncertainties and limited maintenance time is proposed to improve these deficiencies. The genetic algorithm is selected to solve the optimization problem, and an illustrative example is presented to demonstrate the proposed method. The optimal selective maintenance decision without the constraint of maintenance time is used for comparison.
Three-Dimensional Laplace Adomian Decomposition Method and Singular Pseudoparabolic Equations
Authors: Eltayeb Hassan , Elgezouli Diaa Eldin , Kilicman Adem , Bachar Imed
Published: March 2021

In this work, the solution of the linear, nonlinear, and coupled system fractional singular two-dimensional pseudoparabolic equation is examined by using a three-dimensional Laplace Adomian decomposition method (3-DLADM). Analysis of the method is discussed, and some demonstrative examples are mentioned to confirm the power and accuracy of the recommended method, and numerical analysis is applied to sketch the exact and approximate solution.
Distribution and Health Risk Assessment of Some Trace Elements in Runoff from Different Types of Athletic Fields
Authors: Zhang Xiaoran , Wang Yinrui , Liu Junfeng , Jiang Yucheng , Tian Yiran , Zhang Ziyang
Published: March 2021

Environmental risk of heavy metals and metalloids in athletic fields has raised people’s attention in the recent years. Seven trace elements, including metals and metalloids, were detected in the runoff of five typical athletic fields in the university campus under three rainfall events. Except for Cr, the total concentrations of Zn, Pb, Cu, Mn, Cd, and As in artificial turf runoff are the highest among five athletic fields, followed by that of plastic runway. The concentration and first flush effect of trace elements are followed in the order of 1st > 2nd > 3rd rainfall events. The strongest correlations between metals and metalloids were observed in the tennis court runoff, while the artificial turf shows the least. The release of trace elements could be directly from the surface materials and particles on the athletic field and influenced by the comprehensive factors including surface materials, rainfall events, and pollutant characters. Pollution risk assessment shows that the pollution extent of the five types of athletic field is at least “moderate” and follows the order of artificial turf > basketball court > plastic runway > badminton court > tennis court. Pb shows the highest pollution level, while Cr shows the highest healthy risk. The results can provide a theoretical basis for runoff pollution control and safety use of athletic fields.
Protective Effect of Degraded Porphyra yezoensis Polysaccharides on the Oxidative Damage of Renal Epithelial Cells and on the Adhesion and Endocytosis of Nanocalcium Oxalate Crystals
Authors: Peng Qian-Long , Li Chuang-Ye , Zhao Yao-Wang , Sun Xin-Yuan , Liu Hong , Ouyang Jian-Ming
Published: March 2021

The protective effects of Porphyra yezoensis polysaccharides (PYPs) with molecular weights of 576.2 (PYP1), 105.4 (PYP2), 22.47 (PYP3), and 3.89 kDa (PYP4) on the oxidative damage of human kidney proximal tubular epithelial (HK‐2) cells and the differences in adherence and endocytosis of HK‐2 cells to calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals before and after protection were investigated. Results showed that PYPs can effectively reduce the oxidative damage of oxalic acid to HK‐2 cells. Under the preprotection of PYPs, cell viability increased, cell morphology improved, reactive oxygen species levels decreased, mitochondrial membrane potential increased, S phase cell arrest was inhibited, the cell apoptosis rate decreased, phosphatidylserine exposure reduced, the number of crystals adhered to the cell surface reduced, but the ability of cells to endocytose crystals enhanced. The lower the molecular weight, the better the protective effect of PYP. The results in this article indicated that PYPs can reduce the risk of kidney stone formation by protecting renal epithelial cells from oxidative damage and reducing calcium oxalate crystal adhesion, and PYP4 with the lowest molecular weight may be a potential drug for preventing kidney stone formation.
Deterministic Sudden Changes and Stochastic Fluctuation Effects on Stability and Persistence Dynamics of Two-Predator One-Prey Model
Authors: Alebraheem Jawdat , Elazab Nasser S. , Mohammed Mogtaba , Riahi Anis , Elmoasry Ahmed
Published: March 2021

In this paper, we present new results on deterministic sudden changes and stochastic fluctuations’ effects on the dynamics of a two-predator one-prey model. We purpose to study the dynamics of the model with some impacting factors as the problem statement. The methodology depends on investigating the seasonality and stochastic terms which make the predator-prey interactions more realistic. A theoretical analysis is introduced for studying the effects of sudden deterministic changes, using three different cases of sudden changes. We show that the system in a good situation presents persistence dynamics only as a stable dynamical behavior. However, the system in a bad situation leads to three main outcomes as follows: first, constancy at the initial conditions of the prey and predators; second, extinction of the whole system; third, extinction of both predators, resulting in the growth of the prey population until it reaches a peak carrying capacity. We perform numerical simulations to study effects of stochastic fluctuations, which show that noise strength leads to an increase in the oscillations in the dynamical behavior and became more complex and finally leads to extinction when the strength of the noise is high. The random noises transfer the dynamical behavior from the equilibrium case to the oscillation case, which describes some unstable environments.
Inhibition of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress by 4-Phenyl Butyric Acid Presents Therapeutic Effects on Periodontitis: Experimental Studies In Vitro and in Rats
Authors: Feng Yang , Zhang Rong , Wang Yi-rong , Chen Fei , Luo Qiang , Cai Chuan , Jiao Yang , Xue Peng
Published: March 2021

This study investigated the probable mechanisms of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress involved in periodontitis in vitro and in vivo. We isolated periodontal ligament stem cells from periodontitis patients and healthy controls (P-PDLSCs and H-PDLSCs). To further simulate the periodontal microenvironment in patients, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was used to treat H-PDLSCs. The results showed that periodontitis-related inflammation gave rise to the upregulated expression levels of ER stress representative genes including GRP78, PERK, ATF4, and CHOP. In contrast, the treatment of 4-phenyl butyric acid (4-PBA) remarkably suppressed ER stress and supported cell viability. The increased secretion of proinflammatory factors like TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 and the activation of NF-κB pathway were also attenuated by 4-PBA treatment. Moreover, 4-PBA treatment restored the impaired osteogenic differentiation ability of PDLSCs, as demonstrated by the upregulated expression levels of Runx2 and OCN as well as the enhanced Alizarin red staining. Local administration of 4-PBA could rescue alveolar bone resorption of LPS-induced periodontitis rats. Thus, our findings suggested ER stress might act as a promising therapeutic target against periodontitis.
Application of Nalbuphine in Trigeminal Ganglion Pulse Radiofrequency Surgery in Patients with Postherpetic Neuralgia
Authors: Wen Song , Xiao Qiu-Xia , Zhu Zhao-Qiong , Chen Li , Li Ying , Ran Qi-Hua , Cao Song , Xiong Liu-Lin
Published: March 2021

This study aimed to explore the application value of nalbuphine in pulsed radiofrequency operation of trigeminal ganglion in patients with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Thirty patients with PHN were randomly divided into the nalbuphine (Nalbu) group and ketorolac tromethamine (KT) group and received CT-guided pulsed radiofrequency surgery on trigeminal ganglion. The numeric rating scale (NRS) scores of patients were recorded at preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative time points, before going to bed, and the next morning after the operation. In addition, the number of breakthrough pain before operation and within 24 hours after operation, the incidence of nausea and vomiting within 24 hours after surgery, and the patient’s sleep quality before and on the day after surgery were evaluated. The outcome data demonstrated that patients treated with nalbuphine had lower NRS scores after the pulse radiofrequency operation during and after the pulse radiofrequency operation compared to those with KT. In addition, nalbuphine effectively decreased the number of breakthrough pain, reduced the occurrence of nausea and vomiting after surgery, and improved the sleep quality. In conclusion, intramuscular injection of nalbuphine 30 min before trigeminal ganglion pulse radiofrequency surgery can be conducive to pain relief and improve the postoperative comfort of patients, providing an effective alternative for the alleviation of PHN in clinic.
Facial Expression Recognition Based on Attention Mechanism
Authors: Daihong Jiang , Hu yuanzheng  , Lei Dai , Jin Peng
Published: March 2021

At present, traditional facial expression recognition methods of convolutional neural networks are based on local ideas for feature expression, which results in the model’s low efficiency in capturing the dependence between long-range pixels, leading to poor performance for facial expression recognition. In order to solve the above problems, this paper combines a self-attention mechanism with a residual network and proposes a new facial expression recognition model based on the global operation idea. This paper first introduces the self-attention mechanism on the basis of the residual network and finds the relative importance of a location by calculating the weighted average of all location pixels, then introduces channel attention to learn different features on the channel domain, and generates channel attention to focus on the interactive features in different channels so that the robustness can be improved; finally, it merges the self-attention mechanism and the channel attention mechanism to increase the model’s ability to extract globally important features. The accuracy of this paper on the CK+ and FER2013 datasets is 97.89% and 74.15%, respectively, which fully confirmed the effectiveness and superiority of the model in extracting global features.
Synthesis, Molecular Docking Analysis, and Evaluation of Antibacterial and Antioxidant Properties of Stilbenes and Pinacol of Quinolines
Authors: Digafie Zeleke , Melaku Yadessa , Belay Zerihun , Eswaramoorthy Rajalakshmanan
Published: March 2021

Emergence of antimicrobial resistance to standard commercial drugs has become a critical public health concern worldwide. Hence, novel antimicrobials with improved biological activities are urgently needed. In this regard, a series of quinoline-stilbene derivatives were synthesized from substituted quinoline and benzyltriphenylphosphonium chloride using Wittig reaction. Furthermore, a novel pinacol of quinoline was synthesized by pinacolinazation of 2-methoxyquinoline-3-carbaldehyde which was achieved by aluminum powder-potassium hydroxide reagent combination at ambient temperature in methanol. The structures of the synthesized compounds were established based on their spectral data. The antibacterial activities of the synthesized compounds were evaluated in vitro by the paper disc diffusion method against two Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) and two Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium). The best activity was displayed by compound 19 against E. coli with an inhibition zone of 16.0 ± 0.82 mm and 14.67 ± 0.94 mm at 500 and 250 μg/mL, respectively. This is close to ciprofloxacin which is used as a positive control. The results of in silico molecular docking evaluation of the compounds against E. coli DNA gyraseB were in good agreement with the in vitro antibacterial analysis. Compounds 19 (−6.9 kcal/mol) and 24 (−7.1 kcal/mol) showed the maximum binding affinity close to ciprofloxacin (−7.3 kcal/mol) used as positive control. Therefore, the antibacterial activity displayed by these compounds is encouraging for further investigation to improve the activities of quinoline-stilbenes by incorporating various bioisosteric groups in one or more positions of the phenyl nuclei for their potential pharmacological use. Findings of the DPPH radical scavenging assay indicated that some of the quinolone stilbenes and pinacol possess moderate antioxidant properties compared to ascorbic acid used as a natural antioxidant.
The Role of Antioxidants in the Management of Obsessive‐Compulsive Disorder
Authors: Baratzadeh Fatemeh , Elyasi Sepideh , Mohammadpour Amir Hooshang , Salari Sofia , Sahebkar Amirhossein
Published: March 2021

Obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic neuropsychiatric disorder that has a significant effect on the quality of life. The most effective treatment for OCD is the combination of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) with cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). However, several adverse effects have been linked with this usual pharmacotherapy, and it is unsuccessful in many patients. The exact pathophysiology of OCD is not completely known, though the role of oxidative stress in its pathogenesis has been proposed recently. This review presents an overview of animal and human studies of antioxidant treatment for OCD. The use of antioxidants against oxidative stress is a novel treatment for several neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders. Among antioxidants, NAC was one of the most studied drugs on OCD, and it showed a significant improvement in OCD symptoms. Thus, antioxidants could be promising as an adjuvant treatment for OCD. However, a limited number of human studies are conducted on these agents, and for better judgment, human studies with a large sample size are necessary.
New Rough Approximations Based on E‐Neighborhoods
Authors: Al-shami Tareq M. , Fu Wen Qing , Abo-Tabl E. A.
Published: March 2021

This paper puts forward some rough approximations which are motivated from topology. Given a subset R⊆U × U, we can use 8 types of E‐neighborhoods to construct approximations of an arbitrary X⊆U on the one hand. On the other hand, we can also construct approximations relying on a topology which is induced by an E‐neighborhood. Properties of these approximations and relationships between them are studied. For convenience of use, we also give some useful and easy‐to‐understand examples and make a comparison between our approximations and those in the published literature.
A Prospective Multicenter Study for Assessing MusiQoL Validity among Arabic-Speaking MS Patients Treated with Subcutaneous Interferon β-1a
Authors: Al Jumah Mohammed , Kojan Suleiman , Alroughani Raed , Cupler Edward , Bohlega Saeed , Daif Abdulkader , Al Mujalli Mousa , Al Harbi Talal , El Tamawy Mohamed , Ashour Samia , Mhiri Chokri , Gouider Riadh , Jawhary Ayah , El Boghdady Ahmed , Hussein Mohamed
Published: March 2021

Few studies examine health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Arabic-speaking multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. However, HRQoL tools such as the Short Form-36 QoL instrument (SF-36) and the Multiple Sclerosis International QoL (MusiQoL) questionnaire have been validated in other languages. The primary objective of this study was to prospectively assess HRQoL using the MusiQoL questionnaire among Arabic-speaking MS patients treated with subcutaneous interferon (sc IFN β-1a) over 12 months, as part of a prospective, multinational, multicenter cohort study. Patients’ clinical parameters and HRQoL were assessed at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. Changes in MusiQoL total and subdomain scores were compared using a Friedman test. Correlation between MusiQoL total score and Expanded Disability Status Score (EDSS) was also evaluated. In total, 439 patients from four Arabic-speaking countries were included. The mean age was 32.44 (±0.34) years, 71.5% were female, and 63.1% had an education level of university or above. The mean MS duration was 4.13 (±0.12) years, mean age at first attack was 27.35 (±0.26) years, and mean baseline EDSS score was 2.05 (±0.04). MusiQoL total score significantly improved at 6 months; however, this diminished at 12 months (

65.67
±
0.8

at baseline vs.

67.21
±
0.79

at 6 months and

65.75
±
0.8

at 12 months;

p
=
0.0015

). Several aspects of patients’ HRQoL including activity of daily living, physical well-being, symptoms, and coping improved. Overall HRQoL measured using SF-36 remained generally unchanged over time (

p
=
0.215

). There was a statistically significant inverse relationship between change in EDSS score over time and change in overall MusiQoL score over time. In summary, findings confirm the utility of using MusiQoL for assessing changes in HRQoL during treatment with sc IFN β-1a in Arabic-speaking patients with MS.
Positive Recurrence and Extinction of Hybrid Stochastic SIRS Model with Nonlinear Incidence Rate
Authors: Chen Liang , Wang Shan
Published: March 2021

In this paper, the dynamic behavior of a class of hybrid SIRS model with nonlinear incidence is studied. Firstly, we provide the condition under which the positive recurrence exists and then give the threshold

R
0
S

for disease extinction, that is, when

R
0
S

<
1

, the disease will die out. Finally, some examples are constructed to verify the conclusion.
Seasonal Variation in Cases of Acute Appendicitis
Authors: AlHarmi Rawan A. Rahman , Almahari Sayed Ali , AlAradi Jasim , Alqaseer Asma , AlJirdabi Noof Sami , Ahmed Fatema Ali
Published: March 2021

Objectives. To investigate whether the incidence of acute appendicitis increases in summer and whether complicated cases present more in summer. Methods. A single-center cross-sectional, retrospective study on 697 cases of appendicitis admitted in the year 2018. Inclusion criteria: patients admitted with acute appendicitis who underwent appendectomy of all ages. Exclusion criteria: conservative management. Analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel. Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated to assess the correlation between monthly incidence of appendicitis and mean temperature in that month. Results. Fifty-one patients who were managed conservatively were excluded. Accordingly, 646 patients were included. Ages ranged from three to 77 years. Males comprised the majority (500, 77.4%). Gangrenous, perforated, and purulent appendices were regarded as complicated appendicitis. The highest number of cases were admitted in summer (234), comprising 36.2% of cases. Complicated cases were equal to 65, of which 23 (35.4%) were admitted in summer and 30 (46.2%) in winter. The highest number of cases was during the month of July (68), while the lowest (40) was during February. This corresponded to the highest recorded mean temperature (36.2°C) and second lowest (19.8°C), respectively. Moderate positive correlation (Pearson’s R 0.5183) between the monthly incidence of appendicitis and the mean temperature is noted. Conclusion. More cases of appendicitis were noted during summer. Monthly incidence correlated positively with the temperature. Larger numbers over several years are needed to draw better conclusions and reach the possible causes behind such variation.
A Clip-with-Line Traction Suture Method for Closing Mucosal Defects after Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection
Authors: Wang Chong , Wang Yiting , Li Yuanyuan , Zeng Sheng , Chen Youxiang , Li Guohua
Published: March 2021

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is a technically difficult endoscopic procedure for treating gastrointestinal diseases. Procedure time is longer, and complications such as mucosal defects, intraoperative perforation, and bleeding occur frequently. Here, to solve these problems, we described the clip-with-line traction suture method that applied and performed for closing mucosal defects after ESD in three representative cases.
Spectroscopic Investigation of Chlorin-Based Photosensitizers in Polymer Matrix
Authors: Naumenko Antonina , Kutsevol Nataliya
Published: March 2021

Chlorin e6 and its derivatives are the basis of a number of drugs used in medicine in the treatment of various diseases, including cancer, by photodynamic therapy. Nonpolar derivatives of Chlorin e6—dimethyl ether of Chlorin e6 (DME Ce6) and trimethyl ether of Chlorin e6 (TME Ce6)—are actively studied for application during photodynamic therapy. In this work, based on the electron optical absorption spectra, the interaction of photosensitizer molecules with branched star-like copolymer dextran-graft-polyacrylamide in anionic form was investigated and the possibility of using the latter as a carrier for drug delivery to tumor cells was suggested.
Real-Time and In Situ Evaluation of Phycocyanin Concentration in Spirulina platensis Cultivation System by Using Portable Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: He Yong , Liu Xiaoxi , Fang Hui , Zhang Jinnuo , Feng Xuping
Published: March 2021

Spirulina platensis can synthesize a large amount of phycocyanin, which had been developed as a health food. At the same time, Spirulina can absorb the nitrogen and phosphorus in wastewater and provide for its own growth. Here, we studied the optimal nitrogen and phosphorus supply for the Spirulina production process. For the first time, 405 nm portable Raman spectrometer was used to estimate phycocyanin content for real-time industrial applications. We obtained three Raman characteristic peaks of phycocyanin through density functional theory combined with home-built Raman spectrometer, which were 1272, 1337, and 1432

cm

−
1

. There was a good linear correlation between the sum of the three peak intensities and the PCL concentration (y = 18.887x + 833.530,

R

2

=
0.890

). The least squares support vector machine model based on the characteristic peaks was used to estimate the concentration of phycocyanin and obtained good results with a correlation coefficient of prediction of 0.907 and residual predictive deviation of 3.357. The results can provide decision-making for integration of Spirulina effluent treatment and phycocyanin production and provide references for real-time Spirulina-based biorefinery applications.
Salmonella Serovars, Antibiotic Resistance, and Virulence Factors Isolated from Intestinal Content of Slaughtered Chickens and Ready-to-Eat Chicken Gizzards in the Ilorin Metropolis, Kwara State, Nigeria
Authors: Raji M. A. , Kazeem H. M. , Magyigbe K. A. , Ahmed A. O. , Lawal D. N. , Raufu I. A.
Published: March 2021

Salmonellosis is one of the most common and widely distributed food-borne diseases, and the presence of antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella in poultry and poultry products is a global public health problem. Therefore, a cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2016 to July 2017 with an aim of determining the isolation rates of Salmonella species from the intestinal contents of slaughtered chickens, the most common serotypes that invade and colonize the tissues of chickens in Ilorin, and the susceptibilities of the isolated species to commonly used antibiotics. Four hundred samples of intestinal contents from apparently healthy slaughtered chickens and one hundred ready-to-eat chicken gizzards in Ilorin, Kwara State, were examined for the presence of Salmonella and their serotypes. Salmonellae were isolated and identified according to the techniques recommended by the World Health Organization: preenrichment, selective plating, biochemical testing, and serotyping. A total number of forty-three (43) Salmonella isolates consisting of 33 from intestinal contents and 10 from ready-to-eat chicken gizzards were isolated and identified. There was an overall Salmonella prevalence rate of 8.6% (43/500), and the isolates were distributed as follows: gizzard, 2% (

n
=
10

) and intestinal contents, 6.6% (

n
=
33

). The predominant serovars were Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar 45: d: 1, 7 (16) and S. Haifa (5). All ready-to-eat chicken gizzards were associated with Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar 45: d: 1, 7 (5). The Salmonella from intestinal contents belong to Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovars 45: d: 1, 7 (11) and S. Haifa (5). Salmonella species isolated were 100% resistant to ciprofloxacin, ampicillin, and ceftazidime. This is followed by cloxacillin (81%), tetracycline (75%), and sulfamethoxazole (67%). The Salmonella isolates were, however, 100% sensitive to enrofloxacin, 74% to streptomycin, and 72% to gentamycin antibiotics. The most common serotype was S. enterica subsp. enterica serovar 45: d: 1, 7. All the twenty five Salmonella serovars consisting of twenty-one serotypes (

n
=
21

), two of the Salmonella that could not be cultured after enrichment, and the two that were contaminated with Proteus possessed the virulence genes of invA and stn. The Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar 45: d: 1, 7 and S. Haifa possess virulence genes so they are potentially virulent for humans in this area. The national and local health authorities in Nigeria should improve hygiene measures especially at retail slaughter markets to reduce salmonellosis which is one of the most important food-borne diseases in humans.