bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Title: Evaluation of antimicrobial activity of the crude extract of three Bauhinia species from the Brazilian Amazon
Authors: Oliveira Fabyanne , Carvalho Bruna , Frade Paula Cristina Rodrigues , Cruz Jorddy Neves , Junior Helio Longoni Plautz , de Lima Raylson Coelho , Lameira Osmar Alves , Lameira Christian , Costa Fernando Augusto Miranda da
Published: November 2022

The Bauhinia ungulata, Bauhinia variegata, and Bauhinia purpurea are commonly used in folk medicine. However, few studies have investigated its antimicrobial potential. This study evaluated the in vitro antibacterial effect of crude extracts from leaves of B. ungulata, B. variegata and B. purpurea, in addition to identifying the class of constituents. The evaluation of antimicrobial activity was determined using the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) methods against American Type Collection Culture (ATCC) strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter aerogenes and Klebsiella pneumoniae. All crude extracts showed similar phytochemical analysis with saponins and tannins and bactericidal activity against all the bacterial strains. The extract of B. variegata stood out with a MIC of 3.6 µg/mL against P. aeruginosa. From this perspective, the extracts of Bauhinia spp. showed promising microbial activity and should be further investigated for the development of antibacterial agents of natural origin.
Assessment of the Effect of Climate Change and Human Activities on Vegetation Dynamics and its Vulnerability
Authors: Rahimabadi Pouyan Dehghan , Azarnivand Hossein
Published: November 2022

It is necessary to evaluate the impacts of climate change and human activities on vegetation dynamics. The purpose of this study is to assess the linkage of vegetation cover and climate change and distinguish the contribution of climate change and human activities on vegetation and its vulnerability in Namak Lake basin, Iran. For this purpose, changes in the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) in association with Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) during 2000–2019 were analyzed. Then, the roles of climate change and human activities on vegetation vulnerability were assessed in various Land Use Land Cover (LULC) classes using the residual analysis and Probability of Vegetation Vulnerability Index (PVVI). The results indicated that vegetation cover was mainly dependent on short-term climatic changes and their correlation decreased with increasing time scale of SPEI. It reflected that short-term water availability was vital for vegetation growth. Also, the sparse vegetation cover was mainly more vulnerable to climate change. Residual analysis showed that the vegetation dynamics was intensively attributed to the climate change, so that climate change affected vegetation cover in 78.96% of the basin, while 15.58% was affected by human activities and 5.46% was affected by both factors. The value of PVVI in the regions affected by climatic change was the highest (55.99), in the regions affected by human activities it was lower (50.40), and in the regions affected by both factors was between the other two numbers (50.93). The results can provide useful recommendations for designing the restoration plans in arid and semi-arid areas.
Enhanced Radiosensitivity and Chemo-radiation efficacy of Nasopharynx Carcinoma via Dual-targeted SPION@Polymer Hybrid Nanosensitizer
Authors: Pan Yue , Ding Yuxun , Xiao Xiaohui , Bai Lu , Yang Bowen , Zeng Lingli , Lin Guanghui , Xie Lisi , Li Lei , Duan Xiaohui , Shen Jun , Zhou Jianhua
Published: November 2022

Cisplatin-based nanoparticles show great potential for enhancing the effect of nasopharynx carcinoma (NPC) therapy but are still limited by their low radiation sensitization and poor tumor targeting ability. Herein, an ingenious design of multifunctional SPOIN@polymer hybrid nanosensitizers (SPHNs) with enhanced radio-sensitization and dual-targeting capability is described. SPHNs have a core-shell structure, in which radiosensitizer superparamagnetic iron oxide particles (SPION) and cis-platinum (CDDP) are encapsulated in RGD-conjugated amphiphilic block copolymers. These unique structures endow SPHNs with outstanding radio-sensitization and tumor targeting abilities. When combined with X-ray, SPHNs showed great potential in promoting the apoptosis of NPC cells (CNE-1 cells) in vitro. Unexpectedly, RNA-seq and KEGG enrichment analyses indicated that the PI3K-Akt and TNF signaling pathways were closely related to the molecular mechanism of SPHNs in chemoradiotherapy. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) revealed that SPHNs plus X-ray treatment down regulated translation initiation pathways and cytoplasmic translation pathway. By using the combination of radiation and chemotherapy, SPHNs can achieve a remarkable inhibition of tumor growth in vivo, making this nanotechnology become a general platform for the chemo-radiation therapy of NPC in the future.
Single-cell profiling identifies a CD8bright CD244bright Natural Killer cell subset that reflects disease activity in HLA-A29-positive birdshot chorioretinopathy.
Authors: Nath Pulak , Maclean Mary , Nagarajan Vijay , Lee Jung , Yakin Mehmet , Kumar Aman , Nadali Hadi , Schmidt Brian , Kaya Koray Dogan , Kodati Shilpa , Young Alice , Caspi Rachel , Kuiper Jonas , Sen Nida
Published: November 2022

MHC-I-opathies are inflammatory conditions strongly associated with HLA class I genes. The striking association with HLA class I suggests involvement of T cells, whereas natural killer (NK) cell involvement remains largely unstudied. Here we show that HLA-A29-positive birdshot chorioretinopathy patients have a skewed NK cell pool containing expanded CD16-positive NK cells which produce more proinflammatory cytokines. These NK cells contain populations that express the HLA class I restricted antigen CD8A which display gene signatures indicative of high cytotoxic activity (IGFBP7, MYOM2, and LINC00996), and signaling through NK cell receptor CD244 (SH2D2A and SH2D1B). Long-term monitoring of a cohort of birdshot chorioretinopathy patients with active disease identified a population of CD8bright CD244bright NK cells, which rapidly declined to normal levels upon clinical remission following successful treatment. Collectively, these studies implicate CD8bright CD244bright NK cells in the sight-threatening MHC-I-opathy, birdshot chorioretinopathy.
Comparative developmental genomics of sex-biased gene expression in early embryogenesis across mammals
Authors: Richardson Victorya , Engel Nora , Kulathinal Rob J
Published: November 2022

Background: Mammalian gonadal sex is determined by the presence or absence of a Y chromosome and the subsequent production of sex hormones contributes to secondary sexual differentiation. However, sex chromosome-linked genes encoding dosage-sensitive transcription and epigenetic factors are expressed well before gonad formation and have the potential to establish sex-biased expression that persists beyond the appearance of sex hormones. Here, we apply a comparative bioinformatics analysis on published single-cell datasets from mouse and human during very early embryogenesis–from two-cell to preimplantation stages–to characterize sex-specific signals and to assess the degree of conservation among early-acting sex-specific genes and pathways.
Results: Clustering and regression analyses of gene expression across samples reveal that sex initially plays a significant role in overall gene expression patterns at the earliest stages of embryogenesis. In addition, gene expression signals from male and female gametes during fertilization may still be present. Although these transcriptional sex effects rapidly diminish, the sex-biased expression of epigenetic enzymes has the potential to establish sex-specific patterns that persist beyond preimplantation. Sex-biased genes appear to form sex-specific protein-protein interaction networks across preimplantation stages in both mammals. While the distribution of sex-differentially expressed genes (sexDEGs) in early embryonic stages is similar in mice and humans, the genes involved are generally different. Non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) on male and female transcriptomes generated clusters of genes with similar expression patterns across sex and developmental stages, including post-fertilization, epigenetic, and preimplantation ontologies conserved between mouse and human.
Conclusions: This comparative study uncovers much earlier than expected sex-specific signals in mouse and human embryos that pre-date hormonal signaling from the gonads. These early signals are diverged with respect to orthologs yet conserved in terms of function with important implications in the use of genetic models for sex-specific disease.
Developing a Knowledge-Based System for Diagnosis and Treatment Recommendation of Selected Acute Abdominal Diseases by Collaborating Data Mining Results with Expert Knowledge: The Case of Debre Berhan Referral Hospital
Authors: Adugnaw Demeke , Biredagn Kindie
Published: November 2022

Introduction Acute abdomen is an abnormal condition characterized by sudden onset of severe pain within
the abdomen, which requires immediate diagnosis and treatment. From different acute abdominal
diseases, intestinal obstruction accounts for a great proportion of morbidity and mortality in Africa including Ethiopia. This is due to late presentations, improper health care facilities, and the cause of abdominal pain is not identified timely.
Objective This study aimed to develop a knowledge-based system for the diagnosis and treatment recommendation of selected acute abdominal diseases by collaborating data mining results with the knowledge obtained from the domain experts.
Methodology Design science research methodology (DSRM) used to conduct this research. To extract the required knowledge, the researchers have collected 2260 instances of intestinal obstruction dataset from Debre Berhan referral hospital, and used semi-structured interview technique to acquire from the domain experts. To develop the classifier model, the researchers have conducted four experiments with four different scenarios by using Naïve Bayes, J48, JRip, and PART algorithms.
Result The best performance result achieved by applying PART algorithm on selected attributes under the 10-fold cross-validation test option with 98.19% accuracy. To acquire knowledge from the experts the researchers have used semi-structured interview and used purposive sampling to select domain experts. Finally, After the required knowledge was discovered, the knowledge-based system was developed and the developed system was evaluated Lastly, the evaluation result shows that 91.3% accuracy for the system performance by using test cases and 90.6% for the user acceptance testing.
Conclusion applying the developed knowledge-based system will reduce the morbidity and mortality rate caused by intestinal obstruction. And it will give a significant advantage to the patients, doctors and for the healthcare organizations.
Assessment of Potential Pathogenic Bacterial Load and Multidrug Resistance in Locally Manufactured Cosmetics Commonly Used in Dhaka Metropolis
Authors: Nusrat Namira , Zahra Maftuha Ahmad , Ahmed Akash , Haque Fahim
Published: November 2022

In Bangladesh cosmetics are being produced disregarding the safety rules. So, this study aimed to test the level and nature of bacterial contamination of such cosmetics. A total of 27 cosmetics comprising eight lipsticks, nine powders, and ten creams were bought from New Market and Tejgaon areas of Dhaka city and tested. Bacteria was detected in 85.2% of samples. Majority of the samples (77.8%) exceeded the limit given by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and EU (European Union). Both Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Salmonella spp.) and Gram-positive bacteria (species of Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Bacillus and Listeria monocytogenes) were identified. Hemolysis was observed in 66.7% Gram-positive and 25% Gram-negative bacteria. Multidrug resistance was tested in 165 randomly selected isolates. Every species of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria exhibited varying levels of multidrug resistance. The highest levels of antibiotic resistance were in broad-spectrum antibiotics (ampicillin, azithromycin, cefepime, ciprofloxacin and meropenem) and narrow-spectrum Gram-negative antibiotics (aztreonam and colistin). Multidrug resistance was 12%-78% in Gram-negative bacteria and 12%-100% in Gram-positive bacteria. Coagulase and DNase were identified in 97.5% and 5.1% of Staphylococcus aureus isolates respectively. Our findings indicate that these cosmetics pose a risk to the public's health.
A case of APMPPE-like panuveitis presenting with extensive outer retinal layer impairment following COVID-19 vaccination
Authors: Ogino Yo , Namba Kenichi , Iwata Daiju , Suzuki Kayo , Mizuuchi Kazuomi , Hiraoka Miki , Kitaichi Nobuyoshi , Ishida Susumu
Published: November 2022

Background

Vaccination against the worldwide pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is underway; however, some cases of newly onset uveitis after vaccination have been reported. We report a case of bilateral acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy-like (AMPPE-like) panuveitis after COVID-19 vaccination in which the patient’s pathological condition was evaluated using multimodal imaging.

Case presentation

A 31-year-old woman experienced bilateral hyperemia and blurred vision starting 6 days after her second inoculation of the COVID-19 vaccination. At her first visit, her visual acuity was decreased bilaterally, and severe bilateral anterior chamber inflammation and bilateral scattering of cream-white placoid lesions on the fundus were detected. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) showed serous retinal detachment (SRD) and choroidal thickening in both eyes (OU). Fluorescein angiography (FA) revealed hypofluorescence in the early phase and hyperfluorescence in the late phase corresponding to the placoid legions. Indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) showed sharply marginated hypofluorescent dots of various sizes throughout the mid-venous and late phases OU. The patient was diagnosed with APMPPE and was observed without any medications. Three days later, her SRD disappeared spontaneously. However, her anterior chamber inflammation continued, and oral prednisolone (PSL) was given to her. Seven days after the patient’s first visit, the hyperfluorescent lesions on FA and hypofluorescent dots on ICGA partially improved; however, the patient’s best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) dropped to 0.7 OD and 0.6 OS, and the impairment of the outer retinal layer was broadly detected as hyperautofluorescent lesions on fundus autofluorescence (FAF) examination and as irregularity in or disappearance of the ellipsoid and interdigitation zones on OCT, which were quite atypical for the findings of APMPPE. Steroid pulse therapy was performed. Five days later, the hyperfluorescence on FAF had disappeared, and the outer retinal layer improved on OCT. Moreover, the patient’s BCVA recovered to 1.0 OU. Twelve months after the end of treatment, the patient did not show any recurrences.

Conclusions

We observed a case of APMPPE-like panuveitis after COVID-19 vaccination featuring some atypical findings for APMPPE. COVID-19 vaccination may induce not only known uveitis but also atypical uveitis, and appropriate treatment is required for each case.
Knowledgwe and Attitude Regarding Substance Abuce Among Fourth Year Nursing Student at a University, Khomas Region, Namibia.
Authors: Kadhila Joseph Galukeni , Petrus Fransine
Published: November 2022

Introduction: Substance abuse is a pervasive problem across the world. The present study aimed to assess knowledge and attitudes regarding substance abuse among nursing student at the University of Namibia main campus. Substance abuse is a major public health problem globally and its prevalence is increasing rapidly amongst university students in many African countries. The target population were fourth years nursing student between the age of 20 and 35. A quantitative method approach was employed in this study.
Background: Drug and substance abuse is one of the most vexing and pervasive problems that most universities are grappling with in as far as administration is concerned. is a systematic review of literature describing the knowledge of substance abuse by university students and determines their attitude towards substance abuse. It compares university students in different countries.
Aims: The present study aimed to assess knowledge and determined attitudes regarding substance abuse among nursing student at the University of Namibia main campus.
Method: A quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study was carried among 45, 4th year nursing degree students using simple random sampling. A questionnaire was used to collect the data. the researcher personally collected the data. Data was analysed using google docs. Ethical principles were observed during the study.
Results: Finding show that students have adequate knowledge and appropriate attitudes towards substance abuse.
Conclusion: The students had good knowledge of substance abuse yet engaged in substance abuse. The study students frequently used substances like alcohol, cocaine, codeine, cigarette and tramadol. Effective counselling programs is recommended specifically in Universities and families to help tackle this problem.
High-density linkage map constructed from a skim sequenced diploid potato population reveals transmission distortion and QTLs for tuber and pollen production
Authors: Clot Corentin R. , Wang Xulan , Koopman Joey , Navarro Alejandro Thérèse , Bucher Johan , Visser Richard G.F. , Finkers Richard , Eck Herman J. van
Published: November 2022

The reinvention of potato, from a tetraploid clonal crop into a diploid seed-based hybrid crop, requires insight in the mutational load, recombination landscape and the genetic basis of fertility. Genomics based breeding and QTL discovery relies on efficient genotyping strategies such as skim-sequencing, to gather genotypic information. The application of skim-sequencing to full-sib population of non-inbred parents remains challenging. Here, we report on a R implementation of the OutcrossSeq pipeline for diploids and applied it to a large diploid skim-sequenced potato population. We used the resulting bin-markers for the construction of high-density parent specific linkage maps, highlighting variation in parental recombination rate and structural variations. We subsequently explored transmission ratio distortion (TRD) including epistatic ones, indicative of large effect deleterious mutations. Finally, we identified QTLs for seedling tuber yield in pots and pollen production. This study showcases the range of genetic analyses, from marker inference, TRD identification and linkage map construction to QTL mapping, resulting in new insights that contribute to breeding diploid potato.
Using Citizen Science Data to Investigate Annual Survival Rates of Resident Birds in Relation to Noise and Light Pollution
Authors: Pharr Lauren D. , Cooper Caren B. , Evans Brian , Moorman Christopher E. , Voss Margaret , Vukomanovic Jelena , Marra Peter
Published: November 2022

Exponential increases in anthropogenic noise and night lighting have accompanied growth of the built environment. Noise and night lighting cause negative consequences for birds, such as disrupted navigation during migration, mortality from collisions with windows and other infrastructure, and reduced reproductive success, as well as some positive consequences, such as expanded night niches for behaviors associated with feeding, territoriality, and mating. Relatively less is known about noise and light effects on avian annual survival of non-migratory birds, so we carried out an exploratory study to examine variation in adult survival rates of seven avian species in relation to noise and light pollution. We used 20 years of band-resight data collected as a part of the Neighborhood Nestwatch Program (NN), a citizen science project run by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, at 242 sites in greater Washington, D.C. USA. We estimated apparent survival and documented species-specific relationships with light and noise. Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) and House Wren (Thryothorus aedon) survival decreased and American Robin (Turdus migratorius) survival increased with greater amounts of anthropogenic light. Anthropogenic noise had no relationship with apparent survival for any of the seven species. Life-history trade-offs between survival and reproduction may account for differences in species-specific effects of light pollution. Future research should examine the availability of other fine scale environmental conditions, such as tree canopy cover, that might buffer avian exposure to noise and light pollution.
WITHDRAWN: IRE-1α is a key switch of pyroptosis and necroptosis in mice by dominating Gasdermin D
Authors: Zeng Xin , Zheng Qing , Li Deyong , Li Yumeng , Liu Xiaohong , Zhu Min , Liu Wen , Li Lan , Lu Yanrong , Cheng Jingqiu , Chen Younan
Published: November 2022

Necroptosis and pyroptosis are lytic and inflammatory types of programmed cell death that require the membrane destruction predominantly driven by the mixed lineage kinase domain-like (MLKL) and gasdermin D (GSDMD), respectively. However, the crosstalk between them remains largely unknown. Here, we disclose that inositol-requiring enzyme-1α (IRE-1α) is a potential modulator of both necroptosis and pyroptosis, particularly in liver pathology. In vivo, we found that pharmacological suppression of IRE-1α resulted in serious acute liver failure, which may be attributable to the downregulation of GSDMD and caspase-8 while remarkable upregulation of necroptosis markers receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 (RIPK1), RIPK3 and MLKL. However, by using thapsigargin (THP) to moderately restore the IRE-1α level, liver failure was distinctly alleviated. Conversely, ER stressor tunicamycin (TM) promoted IRE-1α activity, which initiated liver pyroptosis by increasing GSDMD and NLRP3. But maintaining the IRE-1α balance by moderate inhibition of IRE-1α effectively improved mouse survival. In vitro, we demonstrated that inhibition of IRE-1α led to distinct necroptosis accompanied by the reduction of GSDMD in LO-2 cells and mouse primary hepatocytes. Nevertheless, by using lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to specifically inspire the GSDMD level, necroptosis was obvious ameliorated. In addition, overexpression of IRE-1α in LO-2 cells obviously increased pyroptotic markers, such as GSDMD and NLRP3, but downregulated the necroptosis markers p-MLKL and p-RIPK3. In conclusion, enhanced expression of IRE-1α triggers hepatic pyroptosis, while IRE-1α deficiency activates hepatic necroptosis, and both processes are closed related to the activity of GSDMD in mice. So, IRE-1α may be a promising therapeutic target in tissue injuries.
Novel guidewire-assisted over-the-wire balloon-type versus through-the-scope basket-type endoscopic irreversible electroporation catheter for ablation in the esophagus: an experimental study
Authors: Jeon Han Jo , Choi Hyuk Soon , Lee Jae Min , Kim Eun Sun , Keum Bora , Jeen Yoon Tae , Lee Hong Sik , Chun Hoon Jai , Jeong Seung , Kim Hong Bae , Kim Jong Hyuk
Published: November 2022

Non-thermal irreversible electroporation (NTIRE) is emerging as a promising tissue ablation technique. However, maintaining irreversible electroporation (IRE) electrodes against displacement from the forces of strong esophageal spasms remains an obstacle. Therefore, the present study evaluates the efficacy and safety of newly designed balloon-type endoscopic IRE catheters. Six pigs were randomly allocated to each catheter group, and four ablations were performed on each at alternating voltages (1500 and 2000 V). Esophagogastroscopy was performed during IRE. The ability of balloon-type catheters to deliver full NTIRE sequences was assessed, followed by a histopathologic analysis. The success rate was higher for the balloon- than basket-type catheter (12/12 [100%] vs. 2/12 [16.7%], p < 0.001). Gross inspection and histologic analysis of the 2000-V vs. 1000-V balloon-type catheter revealed a larger mucosal damage area (105.3 mm2 vs. 140.8 mm2, p = 0.004) and deeper damage depth (476 μm vs. 900 μm, p = 0.02). Histopathology of the ablated tissue revealed a separated epithelium, inflamed lamina propria, congested muscularis mucosa, necrotized submucosa, and disorganized muscularis propria. Balloon-type catheters demonstrated remarkable efficacy, achieving full electrical pulse sequences under NTIRE conditions and a safe histological profile below 2000 V (1274 V/cm).
Partial purification of glutathione S-transferase enzyme from the seed of mallow (Malva slyvestris L.) and investigation of the inhibition kinetics of some heavy metals
Authors: Işık Kübra , Taş Ömer , Ekinci Deniz
Published: November 2022

Glutathione S-Transferase (GST) enzyme is abundant in mammals, insects, fish and microorganisms, as well as in various tissues of these species, particularly in tissues exposed to xenobiotics from the environment. As a result, the enzyme execute detoxifying function by scavenging a diverse range of xenobiotics, such as chemotherapeutic medicines, environmental carcinogens, and endogenous compounds. In this study, GST enzyme was purified from mallow (Malva slyvestris L.) seed for the first time and the kinetic parameters were determined. The optimum ionic intensity was found in 400 mM Tris-Buffer, optimum pH: 7.0, and optimum substrate concentration was determined as 0.2 mM. One of the biggest reasons for deterioration of ecological balance in nature is heavy metal accumulation in soil, air and water which becomes a major threat to the vital activities of living things. In this study, the inhibitory effects of Fe+ 3, Cd+ 2, Ag+ and Zn+ 2 heavy metals, which are common in nature, on the Glutathione S-Transferase enzyme purified from mallow seeds were investigated. Each heavy metal showed low micromolar inhibitory effects on enzyme activity. I50 values of the metals were calculated as 0.369, 60.93, 74.602 and 178.22 µM, respectively.
Adaptive Climbing for Functional Motor Assessment of Children with Cerebral Palsy - a Preliminary Study
Authors: simoni greta , monoli cecilia , galli Manuela , colombo Alessandro
Published: November 2022

Adapted sports are known to be a valid complement to classical rehabilitation, especially in the treatment of Cerebral Palsy,which requires continuous rehabilitation to preserve motor function. This paper discusses the preliminary results of the ACCEPT project, which aims at designing an adapted climbing wall which doubles as a tool for the functional assessment of motorfunction. Eight children with hemiplegia were asked to perform climbing games on three consecutive days. A network of forcesensors recorded the force exerted by the children on the holds while climbing, and motion capture was used to determinewhich limb touched which hold. Data was processed into two candidate indices, to be used as proxies for the motor function of the upper and lower limbs. ANOVA suggests that one of the two indices is related to the difference in the functionality of the more and less affected arm, both when collected during structured (p = 0.002) and during unstructured climbing games (p =0.023), while the indices proved inconclusive for the legs. These results suggest that the ACCEPT platform could be used for the automatic functional assessment of the motor function of the upper limbs during a climbing game.
Study on the mechanism of CXCL12/CXCR4 axis mediated upregulation of IL-8 and IL-6 on the biological function of acute T lymphocyte leukaemia cells
Authors:   Liping Zhou1,   Hui Zhao1,   Jing Zhao2,   Xiaowei Zhang1,   Dong Li3,   Guanglei Qian1
Published: November 2022

Blocking the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis can alter the biological functions of leukaemia cells. We hypothesised that two cytokines, IL-8 and IL-6, play an important role in this process. We established a co-culture model of leukaemia cells and BMSCs. When AMD3100 and G-CSF blocked the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis, biological changes in the leukaemia cells and changes in IL-8 and IL-6 concentrations were observed. We assume this regulatory process may require the participation of certain signalling pathways. After stimulating the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis, we used specific pathway blockers to determine whether four candidate signalling pathways play regulatory roles in this process. ELISA results confirmed that MG132(10 µm) inhibits the expression of IL-8, confirming that the NF/κB signalling pathway is involved. Perifosine could inhibit the expression of IL-6, confirming that the PI3K/Akt signal system is involved in this process. Western blotting confirmed that changes in the NF/κB signalling pathway resulted in the inhibition of IL-8 expression. SP600125 and Perifosine treatments also played a role. It is possible that the JNK and PI3K/AKT signalling pathways would also inhibit the expression of IL-8, but their inhibition appeared later. IL-6 expression was lower in the Perifosine group. This shows that inhibiting the PI3K/AKT signalling pathway can reduce IL-6 expression. Hence, this process requires the participation of multiple signalling pathways to jointly regulate the expression of IL-8 and IL-6. This type of regulation may be a relatively sophisticated network in which there may be cross-effects. The pathogenesis of leukaemia may be affected by this. IL-6 and IL-8 are physiologically regulated by the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis, the NF/κB and JNK/AP-1 pathways are required for IL-8 expression in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. By upregulating IL-8, the bone marrow microenvironment and CXCL12/CXCR4 axis may contribute to the pathogenesis of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
Holographic all-optical waveguide based on photoisomerization
Authors: Liang Jianchu , Long Dafeng , Liu Tong , Wan Kai , Gong Weiping , Qiang Na , Huang Kaijian , Wei Xiaohui
Published: November 2022

The all-optical waveguide theory based on photoisomerization nonlinear effects is systematically and deeply studied, and a nonlinear holographic all-optical waveguide scheme is proposed for the first time. It is found that the induction of a light with stronger isomerization activity on the material weakens the self-defocusing effects of the signal light. Especially, polarization states of both inducing light and signal light also unexpectedly affect propagation of signal light. Part of the theoretical results has been qualitatively confirmed by Z-scan experiments. The proposed holographic all-optical waveguide scheme means polarization information is applied in the all-optical waveguide besides intensity information. Compared with the traditional all-optical waveguide, the performance of holographic waveguide will be greatly improved, making the control of light more precise and easier. Such nonlinear waveguide scheme may find its application in the future all-optical net.
Physical Activity among Nursing Students of Tribhuvan University during COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Mandal Punam Kumari , Yangden Namita , Rai Bhumika , Bhandari Menuka , Paudel Susan
Published: November 2022

Background
Reduced physical activity is one of the major factors affecting health and has been a serious global problem during COVID-19. Prolonged homestays can lead to increased sedentary behavior and reduced physical activity for nursing students. The objective of this study was to assess the level of physical activity among nursing students.
Methodology
A cross-sectional study was carried out on nursing campuses of Tribhuvan University in 2020 among undergraduate nursing students using a self-administered structured International Physical Activity questionnaire. Samples of 255 students using proportionate systematic random sampling were included. Data were analyzed in SPSS version 17. The total score of physical activity over the recent last seven days period was calculated by adding the total of duration and the frequency of all the activities which was expressed in terms of MET (Multiples of Resting Metabolic Rate)-minutes /week. The level of physical activity was categorized as low, moderate, and high. Ordinal logistic regression was used to find the association between the level of physical activity and selected demographic variables.
Results
The study showed that 38.4% of respondents were from the age group 22-24 years and engagement in vigorous physical activity was lower but the median time spent on moderate MET-Minutes/Week was 630 (1620-180). Likewise, 29.4% have low and 49% have a moderate level of Physical Activity. Furthermore, there is an association between the level of physical activity with the place of residence.
Conclusions
The study concludes that more than one-third of respondents have a low level of physical activity and nearly half have a moderate level. Furthermore, there is an association between the level of physical activity and place of residence. This reflects the need to sensitize nursing students to adopt physical activity in everyday life to improve general health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus Attenuates Cisplatin-Induced Intestinal Mucositis in Mice via Modulating the Gut Microbiota and Improving Intestinal Inflammation
Authors: Alsholi Duaa M. , SuleimanYacoub Ghazi , Rehman Ata Ur , Khan Asif Iqbal , Deng Ting , Alioui Yamina , Elkharti Maroua , Xin Yi , Wang Liang
Published: November 2022

Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LBS) is well documented probiotic strain in oncology and has a pivotal role in clinical applications. Here we investigated the Intervention effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus on intestinal mucositis induced by cisplatin (CP). BALB/c mice were pre-treated with or without LBS via oral gavage, followed by induction of mucositis with cisplatin. Our results revealed that LBS-treated groups significantly attenuated proinflammatory cytokine levels (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) compared to the CP group. Furthermore, LBS mitigated the damaged tight junction integrity caused by CP via up-regulating levels of Claudin, Occludin, ZO-1, and Mucin-2 protein (MUC-2). Finally, the 16S rRNA fecal microbiome genomic analysis showed that LBS administration enhances the growth of beneficial bacteria, i.e., Firmicutes, and Lachnospiraceae, while the relative abundance of the opportunistic bacteria Bacteroides and proteobacteria decreased. Collectively, LBS found to beneficially modulate microbial composition structure and functions and enrichment the ecological diversity in the gut.
Analysis and design of energy efficient Interleaved DC-DC SEPIC PFC converter for Onboard Electric Vehicle Charger
Authors: C Komathi , S Durgadevi , M.G Umamaheswari , G Marimuthu
Published: November 2022

Interleaved DC-DC single ended primary inductance converter (SEPIC) employed as switched mode DC-DC converter to suppress input current harmonics in onboard charger of Electric Vehicle (EV) is investigated in this paper. In order to reduce the ripple currents at the input side effectively, the suggested converter connects two SEPIC converters in parallel with 180 degree phase shift and the expression for ripple cancellation factor is derived. The switches in interleaved converters experience 50% lesser current stress than the non-interleaved converters. This paper analyzes the current stress of MOSFET switches and diodes of Interleaved DC-DC SEPIC converter and conventional SEPIC converter. This paper implements control strategy based on hybrid particle swarm optimization grey wolf optimization (HPSOGWO) algorithm to suppress current harmonics and to obtain high tracking accuracy with faster convergence rate. The proposed HPSOGWO based control technique enhances the performance of the existing solutions in terms of input power factor, %efficiency, %voltage regulation and %total harmonic distortion (THD) for the onboard charger. The performance enhancement of HPSOGWO algorithm is tested by non-parametric method of statistical analysis called Kruskal Wallis-One way Analysis of Variance using R programming. The converter’s hardware prototype is built for 200W output power, and the simulation results are supported by experimental results with TMS320F28027 microcontroller.
Effect of iodine nutrition status on thyroid function and pregnancy outcomes
Authors: Zha Hongying , Yu Lin , Tang Yi , Sun Lu , Yuan Qingxin
Published: November 2022

Background
Iodine is essential for normal thyroid function, supporting healthy fetal and child development. The relevance between maternal iodine nutrition status and pregnancy outcomes remains controversial. The aim was to explore whether urinary iodine concentrations(UIC)/urinary creatinine(UCr) was associated with thyroid function and adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Methods
This study was performed in the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. A total of 212 pregnant women was enrolled from May 2018 to November 2021 from the first visit until postpartum. Maternal serum samples were obtained in the second trimester and then thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3), urinary iodine concentrations(UIC), and urinary creatinine (UCr) were tested. The correlation of UIC/UCr, which represented maternal iodine nutrition status, with TSH, FT4, and FT3 was studied using linear regression. And we assessed associations between UIC/UCr and pregnancy outcomes. Notably, we explored consistency between UIC/UCr and the incidence of low birth weight (LBW) by application of logistic regression analysis.
Results
A total of 212 women were divided into 3 groups according to the upper and lower quartiles of UIC/UCr . There were 53 women in Group1 (UIC/UCr<106.96ug/g), 106 women in Group2 (UIC/UCr 106.96-259.08 ug/g), and 53 women in Group3 (UIC/UCr >259.08ug/g). The level of UIC/UCr had negative correlation with FT4 (r=-0.139, p=0.043) but positive correlation with TSH (r=0.096, p=0.162>0.05). There was a significant difference in the incidence of LBW among 3 groups (p=0.007). Logistic regression analysis found that the level of UIC/UCr was an independent factor for LBW (p=0.048, OR=0.991, 95%CI (0.982,0.999)). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that the area under the curve (AUC) for UIC/UCr predicting the incidence of low birth weight was 0.687 (p=0.013, 95%CI 0.575, 0.799).
Conclusions
Lower UIC/UCr during pregnancy was associated with higher FT4 and lower TSH. And iodine deficiency during pregnancy is a risk factor for low birth weight. Our findings indicated that more attention should be paid to the appropriate iodine nutrition status in pregnant women, which can help prevent suffering from adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Development and External Validation of Interpretable Partial Dependent Plot-based Triage Score for Emergency Departments
Authors: Yu Jae Yong , Chang Han Sol , Xinyi Lin , Xie Feng , Yoon Sun Young , Ong Marcus Eng Hock , Ng Yih Yng , Chong Michael Chia Yih , Cha Won Chul
Published: November 2022

Triage in an emergency department (ED) can help identify the urgency of patients’ treatment and allocate the appropriate resources. Interpretable machine learning methods could be a helpful tool for facilitating the triage process. However, existing related research used only conventional logistic regression methods. This study aims to develop and externally validate an interpretable machine learning model using a partial dependent plot (PDP). This retrospective cohort study included all adult ED patients of the Samsung Medical Center for development and Tan Tock Seng Hospital, from 2016–2020. The outcome of interest was in-hospital mortality after patients’ ED visit. We used the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) to assess the performance of the PDP score and other conventional scores, including the Korea Triage Acuity Scale (KTAS). Of the included 285,523 ED visits, 1.60% ended in in-hospital mortality. The PDP score achieved an AUROC of 0.821 in temporal validation and 0.833 in external validation, outperforming the KTAS score of 0.729. The PDP triage score was therefore superior to other scores for in-hospital mortality prediction. PDP is a generic, intuitive, and effective triage tool to stratify general patients who present to the ED.
Optimized Synthesis Characterization and Protective Activity of Quercetin and Quercetin- Chitosan Nanoformula against Cardiotoxicity that was induced in Male Wister Rats via Anticancer Agent: Doxorubicin
Authors: Soliman Asmaa. G. , Mahmoud Basant , Eldin Zienab E. , El-Shahawy Ahmed A. G. , Abdel-Gabbar Mohamed
Published: November 2022

The study’s goal was to look into the protective properties of quercetin (QU) and QU-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (QU-CHSNPs) against cardiotoxicity. The ionotropic gelation approach was adopted to form QU-CHSNPs. The characterizations were performed using advanced techniques. In vitro, the release profile of QU was studied. Cardiotoxicity was induced by doxorubicin (DOX) and protected via concurrent administration of QU and QU-CHSNPs. The heart’s preventive effects of QU and QU- CHSNPs were signified by a decline in the raised serum activities of cardiac enzymes together with the improvement of the heart's antioxidant defence system and heart histological changes. The findings substantiated QU-CHSNPs' structure with an entrapment efficiency of 92.56%. The mean of the Zeta size distribution was 150 nm, the real average particle size was 50 nm, and the zeta potential value was − 27.9 mV, exhibiting low physical stability. The percent of the free QU-cumulative release was about 70% after 12 hours, and QU-CHSNPs showed a 49% continued release with a pattern of sustained release, reaching 98% after 48 hours. And as such, QU and QU-CHSNPs restrained the induced cardiotoxicity of DOX in male Wistar rats, with the QU-CHSNPs being more efficient.
Spatial Analysis of Agrochemical Application and Risks to Water Quality and Community Health in Ogun State, Nigeria
Authors: AYEGBOKIKI A.O , Ayinde I. A. , Okoye H.O. , Oluyege D.E.
Published: November 2022

The large number of agrochemical pollutants that are today found in our environment, including in the air, soil, and water, and that are primarily caused by human activity, has caused many issues for the residents. Environmentally susceptible places for agrochemicals include water bodies near agricultural fields, groundwater near the surface, habitats for other animals, and endangered species. It is possible for drinking water to get contaminated and skin exposure to rise when agricultural chemicals are employed in close proximity to residential areas. The study investigated the possibility of water pollution and the vulnerability of rural farmers to agrochemical toxicity. Ewekoro and Ikenne Local Government Area were randomly selected for the study. Geographical Positioning System (GPS) device was used to take the coordinates of farms where agrochemicals are applied and the residential buildings in close proximity to farm fields. Descriptive statistics, digital elevation model and near tool analysis (ArcGIS), atomic absorption spectrophotometer and human health risk analysis were tools employed for analysis in the study. The findings showed that the water bodies were highly contaminated with heavy metals with consequences of the residents to suffer carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic adverse effects. The study recommends advocacy campaign on safe use of agrochemicals, appropriate water use to reduce risk to human health and increase biodiversity sustainability while building of local water purifying facilities in the rural communities for safe water consumption is encouraged.
Rare North Apennine endemic Cirsium bertolonii is endandgered by hybridization
Authors: Michálková Ester , Šmerda Jakub , Plačková Klára , Knoll Aleš , Bureš Petr
Published: November 2022

We examined populations of North Apennine stenoendemicsC. bertoloniiin the Apuan Alps and Tuscan-Emilian Apennines and found individuals morphologically shifted to co-occurringC. acaulonorC. erisithales. Hybrid status of these intermediates we confirmed by flow cytometry, morphometrics and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and interpreted them taxonomically asCirsium×sagrense(C. acaulon×C. bertolonii) andC.×abetonense(C. bertolonii×C. erisithales). Estimated genome size (2C) was 2244 ± 31 Mbp forC.×sagrense, and 2152 ± 99 Mbp forC.×abetonenseand their genomic GC content was 38.95 ± 0.35%, and 38.77 ± 0.26%, respectively. Diploid chromosome number 2n = 34 was counted forC. bertoloniiand previously reported 2n = 12 needs to be considered erroneous. We foundCirsium bertoloniito be gynodioecious species (similarly as many other species ofCirsiumsect.Cirsium) that is not reproductively isolated by different ploidy level or chromosome number from co-occurring congeners. The relatively frequent occurrence ofC.×sagrensein Monte Sagro (locus classicusofC. bertolonii) and the prevalence ofC.×abetonensein Alpe Tre Potenze suggest that hybridization occurs repeatedly inC. bertolonii, as also confirmed by older herbarium specimens.C.×abetonenseproduces ripe achenes and F2 or backcrosses similarly as hybrids of otherCirsium-species. Genetic erosion/swamping via interspecific hybridization can therefore pose a serious risk to genetic integrity ofC. bertoloniilike in the case of some diploid narrowly endemic high mountainCirsiumspecies in Europe.
WITHDRAWN: Probabilistic Ontology based MEBN model for Tuberculosis Treatment in India
Authors: Chaudhary Aryan
Published: November 2022

Background
The decision making in health information systems is a challenge due to uncertainty associated with the medical data and lack of quantitative reasoning capabilities in existing systems which hinders in the appropriate treatment of the disease. The goal is to develop a generic model which performs probabilistic reasoning over uncertain knowledge.
Objective
To find ways to solve this challenge, this paper proposes a Probabilistic Ontology based knowledge model incorporating probabilistic assessment with the Semantic Web Ontologies (OWL) to design a Decision Support System (DSS) for Tuberculosis treatment in India based on RNTCP (Revised National TB Control Programme).
Methods
The system model is created using MEBN (Multi Entity Bayesian Network).MEBN logic explicits probabilistic information as an aggregation of MFrags (MEBN fragments) which are configured into MTheories (MEBN Theories). Upon queries related to any specific case given as input to the model, a Situation Specific Bayesian Network (SSBN) is generated by the UnbBayes query tool.
Results
Using probabilistic ontology enables standardization of tuberculosis treatment process and greatly increases its reusability.
Conclusions
A systematic analysis of knowledge can be done using the ontological framework and computerised processing and decision making becomes easier. Incorporating the probabilistic analysis tool provides reasoning with uncertainty associated with the domain knowledge. Using Multi Entity Bayesian Network facilitates addition of new knowledge and data, and thus increases the applicability of the model.