bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gold Nanoparticle Mediated Multi-Modal CT Imaging of 3 Hsp70 Membrane Positive Tumors
Authors: Kimm Melanie A. , Shevtsov Maxim , Werner Caroline , Sievert Wolfgang , Wu Zhiyuan , Schoppe Oliver , Menze Bjoern H. , Rummeny Ernst J. , Proksa Roland , Bystrova Olga , Martynova Marina , Multhoff Gabriele , Stangl Stefan
Published: April 2020

Imaging techniques such as computed tomographies (CT) play a major role in clinical imaging and diagnosis of malignant lesions. In recent years, spectral CT has emerged in the field of computed tomographies, utilizing detailed information from extracted spectral parameters of the specimen. Metal nanoparticle platforms enable effective payload delivery for this technique. Due to the possibility of surface modification, metal nanoparticles are predestined to facilitate molecular tumor targeting. In this work, we demonstrate the feasibility of anti-plasma membrane Heat shock protein 70 functionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for tumor specific multimodal imaging. Membrane-associated Hsp70 is exclusively presented on the plasma membrane of malignant cells of multiple tumor entities, but not on corresponding normal tissue cells, predestining this target epitope for tumor-selective in vivo targeting. In vitro microscopical analysis revealed the presence of cmHsp70.1-AuNP in the cytosol of tumor cell lines, being internalized via the endosomal-lysosomal pathway. In tumor bearing mice the biodistribution as well as the intratumorally enrichment of AuNP were examined 24h after i.v. application, in vivo. In parallel to spectral CT analysis, histological analysis confirmed the presence of tumor cells. In contrast to control NP, a significant enrichment of cmHsp70.1-AuNPs has been detected selectively in tumors of different preclinical mouse models. Furthermore, the biodistribution of AuNP, following i.v. injection, was analyzed by a machine-learning approach on digitalized slides. In summary, utilizing mHsp70 on tumor cells for guidance of cmHsp70.1 antibody functionalized nanoparticles enables sufficient enrichment and uniform distribution of AuNPs in mHsp70-expressing tumor cells, adequate for various microscopical imaging techniques and spectral-CT-based tumor delineation, in vivo.
Remdesivir: A Review of Its Discovery and Development Leading to Human Clinical Trials for Treatment of COVID-19
Authors: Eastman Richard T. , Roth Jacob S. , Brimacombe Kyle R. , Simeonov Anton , Shen Min , Patnaik Samarjit , Hall Matthew D.
Published: April 2020

The global pandemic of SARS-CoV-2, the causative viral pathogen of COVID-19, has driven the biomedical community to action – to uncover and develop anti-viral interventions. One potential therapeutic approach currently being evaluated in numerous clinical trials is the agent remdesivir, which has endured a long and winding developmental path. Remdesivir is a nucleotide analog prodrug that perturbs viral replication, originally evaluated in clinical trials to thwart the Ebola outbreak in 2014. Subsequent evaluation by numerous virology laboratories demonstrated the ability of remdesivir to inhibit coronavirus replication, including SARS-CoV-2. Here, we provide an overview of its mechanism of action, discovery, and the current studies exploring its clinical effectiveness.
Latent Tuberculosis Infection in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Pastor Bandeira Isabelle , Figueiredo da Silva Caroline , Marchi Martin Maria Eduarda , Figueiredo da Silva Gustavo , Parolin Laura Fiuza , Melo Luiz Henrique , Magno Goncalves Marcus Vinicius
Published: April 2020

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious-contagious disease caused by M. tuberculosis (Koch’s bacillus). About one-quarter of the world’s population is infected with that bacillus and at risk of developing TB disease. Latent tuberculosis corresponds to people who have been infected by TB bacteria but are not (yet) ill. The most vulnerable population to TB activation includes HIV infected, drug abuse and autoimmune disease patients. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic and autoimmune neurological disease caused by lymphocytic infiltration. Its prevalence worldwide is 22.2 million cases of MS. There is a relation between TB and MS: due to immunomodulation or immunosuppression treatment of MS (reactivation of latent infection), or due to the intense inflammatory response before the infection of the bacillus (increased susceptibility to the development of autoimmune diseases). Screening for TB includes complete patient history, physical exam, chest radiography, and Tuberculin Skin Test or IGRA (Interferon Gamma Release Assay). This investigation is suggested when MS drugs (immunomodulatory and immunosuppressant medications) are prescribed. If a patient has positive results, the treatment for MS should not be delayed for the finishing TB treatment. In this paper, considering the high prevalence of tuberculosis, we recommend that TB screening should be also done at the moment of Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis.
Corona Virus (CoVid19) Genome: Genomic and Evolutionary Analysis Point Towards Its Possible Synthetic Origin
Authors: Mohanta Tapan Kumar , Mohanta Yugal Kishore , Al-Harrasi Ahmed
Published: April 2020

The Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) corona virus (CoV) 2 SARS-CoV-2 mediated epidemic is a global pandemic. The first genome sequence data of SARS-CoV-2 (CoVid19) concluded that it has a bat reservoir and bat was the immediate donor. Andersen et al., (2020) has reported that it is improbable to do laboratory manipulation of SARS CoV [1]. But, Lau et al., (2010) has already reported the generation of recombinant bat SARS CoV and they had reported three recombinant genotypes. Hence laboratory based manipulation has already completed long before[2]. A deep comparative study of bat SARS CoV with other SARS CoVs (including human SARS CoV of German isolate) revealed, human SARS CoV-2 genomes (isolates of China, India, Italy, Nepal, and the United States of America) had sequence similarity of 79-80% only with bat SARS CoV and it has sequence similarity of approximately 60% with the human SARS CoV (German isolate). The presence of large genomic dissimilarity of bat SARS CoV genome with human SARS CoV-2 cannot be considered as an immediate donor to human SARS CoV-2. However, the genomic sequence similarity within the SARS CoV-2 isolates of China, India, Italy, Nepal, and USA shared 99-100% similarity. This suggests that human SARS CoV-2 did not undergo heavy mutation to generate immediate new genotype. If the SARS CoV-2 infection happened to the human through the SARS CoV of bat from Wuhan meat market, it should have sequence similarity of more than 99% which was not found in the study. Phylogenetic analysis revealed, bat SARS CoV did not fall with the group of SARS CoV-2 of China, India, Italy, Nepal, and USA isolates. This suggests that bat SARS CoV has genomic and evolutionary dissimilarity and cannot be considered as immediate and direct donor of human SARS CoV-2. The natural selection of bat genome before transfer to the zoonotic organism is a time-consuming process and natural selection in human post zoonotic transfer is also time-consuming event. Therefore, concept mentioned by Andersen et al., (2020)[1] regarding its transfer from a bat of Wuhan meat market is irrefutably incorrect. Sequence alignment revealed the presence of inserted codons in human SARS CoV-2 and synteny analysis corroborated with the presence of extra nucleotides/codons in the human SARS CoV-2. Relative time tree analysis revealed it origin before 0.00 million year ago, suggesting its recent synthetic/modified origin.
A Normalized Mortality Rate Showed the Diverse Severity of COVID-19 in the World
Authors: Kumar Santosh
Published: April 2020

Covid-19 has given a halt to all the activities in the world. Europe was most affected followed by the United States of America. Spain and Belgium were found to be at the highest risk of Covid-19 followed by Italy, France, and the United Kingdom. The Covid-19 cases were on the rise in the United States of America and India but with a lower mortality rate. Japan was least affected in comparison to other countries. A normalized method was used to see the mortality of Covid-19 in comparison to other diseases. The deaths occurred by Cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and respiratory diseases were more in number than the Covid-19 caused deaths in the 45 days period where most of the Covid-19 deaths had taken place. The Covid-19 severity was found to be diverse in the world as well as within Europe. This diversity could be a result of the increased number of diagnostic tests or subsidizing other preexisting diseases to count the Covid-19 positive death under Covid-19 or the accuracy of the diagnostic test performed to detect Covid-19. Normalization based on total death counts could be performed to compare the Covid-19 mortality with other diseases to know the real severity of Covid-19.
COVID-19 Outbreak Prediction with Machine Learning
Authors: Ardabili Sina F. , Mosavi Amir , Ghamisi Pedram , Ferdinand Filip , Varkonyi-Koczy Annamaria R. , Reuter Uwe , Rabczuk Timon , Atkinson Peter M.
Published: April 2020

Several outbreak prediction models for COVID-19 are being used by officials around the world to make informed-decisions and enforce relevant control measures. Among the standard models for COVID-19 global pandemic prediction, simple epidemiological and statistical models have received more attention by authorities, and they are popular in the media. Due to a high level of uncertainty and lack of essential data, standard models have shown low accuracy for long-term prediction. Although the literature includes several attempts to address this issue, the essential generalization and robustness abilities of existing models need to be improved. This paper presents a comparative analysis of machine learning and soft computing models to predict the COVID-19 outbreak. Among a wide range of machine learning models investigated, two models showed promising results (i.e., multi-layered perceptron, MLP, and adaptive network-based fuzzy inference system, ANFIS). Based on the results reported here, and due to the highly complex nature of the COVID-19 outbreak and variation in its behavior from nation-to-nation, this study suggests machine learning as an effective tool to model the outbreak.
Chalcomoracin Prevents Vitreous-Induced Activation of AKT and Migration of Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells
Authors: Han Haote , Yang Yanhui , Liu Bing , Tian Jingkui , Zhu Wei , Wang Jiantao , Lei Hetian
Published: April 2020

Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells are the major cell type in the epi- or sub-retinal membranes in the pathogenesis of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), which is a blinding fibrotic eye disease and still short of effective medicine. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate if Chalocomoracin (CMR), a novel purified compound from fungus-infected mulberry leaves, is able to inhibit vitreous-induced signaling events and cellular responses intrinsic to PVR. Our studies have revealed that the CMR IC50 for ARPE-19 cells is 35.5 μM at 72 hours, and that 5 μM CMR inhibits vitreous-induced Akt activation and p53 suppression; in addition we have discovered that this chemical effectively blocks vitreous-stimulated proliferation, migration and contraction of ARPE-19 cells, suggesting that CMR is a promising PVR prophylactic.
In Search of Preventative Strategies: Novel Anti-Inflammatory High-CBD Cannabis Sativa Extracts Modulate ACE2 Expression in COVID-19 Gateway Tissues
Authors: Wang Bo , Kovalchuk Anna , Li Dongping , Ilnytskyy Yaroslav , Kovalchuk Igor , Kovalchuk Olga
Published: April 2020

With the rapidly growing pandemic of COVID-19 caused by the new and challenging to treat zoonotic SARS-CoV2 coronavirus, there is an urgent need for new therapies and prevention strategies that can help curtail disease spread and reduce mortality. Inhibition of viral entry and thereby spread constitute plausible therapeutic avenues. Similar to other respiratory pathogens, SARS-CoV2 is transmitted through respiratory droplets, with potential for aerosol and contact spread. It uses receptor-mediated entry into the human host via angiotensin-converting enzyme II (ACE2) that is expressed in lung tissue, as well as oral and nasal mucosa, kidney, testes, and the gastrointestinal tract. Modulation of ACE2 levels in these gateway tissues may prove a plausible strategy for decreasing disease susceptibility. Cannabis sativa, especially one high in the anti-inflammatory cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD), has been proposed to modulate gene expression and inflammation and harbour anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. Working under the Health Canada research license, we have developed over 800 new Cannabis sativa lines and extracts and hypothesized that high-CBD C. sativa extracts may be used to modulate ACE2 expression in COVID-19 target tissues. Screening C. sativa extracts using artificial human 3D models of oral, airway, and intestinal tissues, we identified 13 high CBD C. sativa extracts that modulate ACE2 gene expression and ACE2 protein levels. Our initial data suggest that some C. sativa extract down-regulate serine protease TMPRSS2, another critical protein required for SARS-CoV2 entry into host cells. While our most effective extracts require further large-scale validation, our study is crucial for the future analysis of the effects of medical cannabis on COVID-19. The extracts of our most successful and novel high CBD C. sativa lines, pending further investigation, may become a useful and safe addition to the treatment of COVID-19 as an adjunct therapy. They can be used to develop easy-to-use preventative treatments in the form of mouthwash and throat gargle products for both clinical and at-home use. Such products ought to be tested for their potential to decrease viral entry via the oral mucosa. Given the current dire and rapidly evolving epidemiological situation, every possible therapeutic opportunity and avenue must be considered.
Scheme for Cheating Prevention in Online Exams during Social Distancing
Authors: Nizam Navid Ibtehaj , Gao Shan , Li Mengzhou , Mohamed Hisham , Wang Ge
Published: April 2020

In the current pandemic of COVID-19, students and faculty are subject to social distancing and online learning. How to test students in this unprecedented environment is a new educational challenge with immediate and global impacts. The main contribution of this paper is to establish the feasibility that by a clever design we can control the average gain (which is referred to as the g-factor) from cheating behaviors to a degree as small as pre-specified so that accurate and reliable online exams can be administered. It is underlined that even after the pandemic the methods and systems in the spirit of our proposal are still valuable for cost-effective exams to promote open courses and internet-based education.
What Can We Learn from Burkina Faso COVID-19 Data? Using Phenomenological Models to Characterize the Initial Growth Dynamic of the Outbreak and to Generate Short-Term Forecasts
Authors: Rouamba Toussaint , Samadoulougou Sekou , Bonnechère Bruno , Chiêm Benjamin , Kirakoya-Samadoulougou Fati
Published: April 2020

On 9 March 2020, two cases of COVID-19 were reported in Burkina Faso. As of 10 April 2020, a total number of 484 cases (404 cases in the Kadiogo province) were reported nationwide. Real-time forecasts of COVID-19 are important to inform decision-making in the country. Here, we propose an approach that tests the performance of four models (Exponential Growth model, the Generalized Growth model (GGM), the Generalized Logistic Growth, and Richards Growth model) to select the model that best fit data and to generate short-term forecasting (5-, 10-, and 15-day forecasts from 11 to 25 April 2020) in Kadiogo, the epicenter of the outbreak. Using daily number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, the results suggests that GGM performed the best out of the 4 models. Overall, our GGM predictions suggested an average total number of cumulative cases of 514 (95% CI, 464–559), 629 (95% CI, 559–691), and 750 (95% CI, 661–840) between 11 to 15 April, 16 to 20 April, and 20 to 25 April 2020, respectively. COVID-19 in this province was best approximated by sub exponential growth rather than exponential or logistic growth. Current data suggest that COVID-19 cases would continue to increase over the next 15-days.
Identification of Pharmacophoric Features and Novel Compounds for Inhibition of SARS-Cov-2 Main Protease
Authors: Jain Priti , Dorik Rupesh , Jain Munendra
Published: April 2020

A big race for the search for novel lead has begun due to the emergence of COVID-19 across the globe. More than 6,00,000 cases of afflicted patients worldwide has been reported till date with high mortality and morbidity. At present no approved drugs are known for COVID-19. Phylogenetic analysis present strong nucleotide sequence similarity of around 80% with SARS-CoV. Therefore, the drugs used for treating SARS-CoV and MERS are being used for SARS-CoV-2 also. Recently, the crystal structure of COVID-19 is reported and hence, we have used this tom predict the binding affinity with SARS-CoV-2-main protease and prepared a pharmacophore that may be used for future design of novel inhibitors.
Incidence of Venous Thromboembolism in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19
Authors: Middeldorp Saskia , Coppens Michiel , van Haaps Thijs F. , Foppen Merijn , Vlaar Alexander P. , Muller Marcella C.A. , Bouman Catherine C.S. , Beenen Ludo F.M. , Kootte Ruud S. , Heijmans Jarom , Smits Loek P. , Bonta Peter I. , van Es Nick
Published: April 2020

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can lead to systemic coagulation activation and thrombotic complications. We investigated the incidence of objectively confirmed venous thromboembolism (VTE) in 198 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in a single-center cohort study. Seventy-four patients (37%) were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). At time of data collection, 58 (29%) were still hospitalized and 14% had died. During a median follow-up of 5 days (IQR, 3-9), 33 patients (17%) were diagnosed with VTE of whom 22 (11%) had symptomatic VTE, despite routine thrombosis prophylaxis. The cumulative incidences of VTE at 7 and 14 days were 15% (95% CI, 9.3-22) and 34% (95% CI, 23-46), respectively. For symptomatic VTE, these were 11% (95% CI, 5.8-17) and 23% (95% CI, 14-33). VTE appeared to be associated with death (adjusted HR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.02-8.0). The cumulative incidence of VTE was higher in the ICU (25% at 7 days 95% CI, 15-36, and 48% at 14 days, 95% CI, 33-61) than on the wards (any VTE and symptomatic VTE 6.5 % at 7 days (95% CI, 1.5-17) and 10% at 14 days (95% CI, 2.9-24)).The observed risk for VTE in COVID-19 is high, particularly in ICU patients, which should lead to a high level of clinical suspicion and low threshold for diagnostic imaging for DVT or PE. Future research should focus on optimal diagnostic and prophylactic strategies to prevent VTE and potentially improve survival.
Potential Chimeric Peptides to Block the SARS-CoV-2 Spike RBD
Authors: Barh Debmalya , Tiwari Sandeep , Silva Andrade Bruno , Giovanetti Marta , Kumavath Ranjith , Ghosh Preetam , Góes-Neto Aristóteles , Carlos Junior Alcantara Luiz , Azevedo Vasco
Published: April 2020

Background: There are no known medicines or vaccines to control the COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 (nCoV). Antiviral peptides are superior to conventional drugs and may also be effective against COVID-19. Hence, we investigated the SARS-CoV-2 Spike RBD (nCoV-RBD) that interacts with hACE2 for viral attachment and entry. Methods: Three strategies and bioinformatics approaches were employed to design potential nCoV-RBD - hACE2 interaction-blocking peptides that may restrict viral attachment and entry. Firstly, the key residues interacting with nCoV-RBD - hACE2 are identified and hACE2 sequence based peptides are designed. Second, peptides from five antibacterial peptide databases that block nCoV-RBD are identified; finally, a chimeric peptide design approach is used to design peptides that can bind to key nCoV-RBD residues. The final peptides are selected based on their physiochemical properties, numbers and positions of key residues binding, binding energy, and antiviral properties. Results: We found (i) three amino acid stretches in hACE2 interact with nCoV-RBD; (ii) effective peptides must bind to three key positions of nCoV-RBD: Gly485/Phe486/Asn487, Gln493, and Gln498/Thr500/Asn501; (iii) Phe486, Gln493, and Asn501 are critical residues; (iv) AC20 and AC23 derived from hACE2 may block two key critical positions; (iv) DBP6 identified from databases can block the three sites of the nCoV-RBD interacting with one critical position Gln498; (v) seven chimeric peptides were considered promising among which cnCoVP-3, cnCoVP-4, and cnCoVP-7 are the top three; and (vi) cnCoVP-4 meets all the criteria and is the best peptide. Conclusion: All the ten peptides need experimental validation for their therapeutic efficacy.
BCG Vaccination Strategy for Preventaion against COVID-19: Hype or Hope?
Authors: Rajarshi Keshav , Chatterjee Aroni , Ray Shashikant
Published: April 2020

The Bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccine (BCG vaccine) designed to prevent tuberculosis in children has been shown to induce a trained immune response in the body to fight against bacteria as well as other parasites and viruses. This knowledge has been reciprocated to generate the idea that this vaccine can also offer protection against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-COV-2). Some recent pre-print articles have highlighted that countries with mass BCG immunizations seems to have a lower incidence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) compared to those without BCG immunization. There are yet no experimental proof of any such association and the world health organisation (WHO) is currently testing the theory with clinical trials on selected cohorts. Epidemiologists and other scientific experts has expressed both their hope and concern simultaneously regarding the success theory of BCG vaccination to prevent COVID-19. Though its still not verified in any way whether the BCG vaccination can actually prevent COVID-19 or not but we believe a thorough analytical research in this regard is indeed worth a shot.
Can Innate Immunity Flatten the Curve? Covid-19 – A Case Study
Authors: Banerjee Sangam
Published: April 2020

We have proposed a model considering two equally sized population (group A and group B) with low and high levels of disease tolerance. We have argued that in the more tolerant group (group B) the progression of the disease with respect to time will be slow with lower number of infections at any given time. We attribute this effect to the innate immunity which advantageously, can also be one of the major contributing factors for flattening the curve. We have compared the growth of Covid-19 disease in various countries to understand this effect.
Glomerular Filtration Rate, its Association with Risk Factors and Cardiovascular Diseases. The Results of the ESSE-RF-2 Study
Authors: Shalnova S. A. , Maksimov S. A. , Balanova Yu. A. , Evstifeeva S. E. , Imaeva A. E. , Kapustina A. V. , Muromtseva G. A. , Tarasov V. I. , Viktorova I. A. , Redko A. N. , Prishchepa N. N. , Yakushin S. S. , Drapkina O. M.
Published: April 2020

Aim. To study the influence of social determinants on the frequency of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) categories of various levels, as well as associations with a number of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and cardiovascular risk factors among the population of four Russian regions included in the ESSE-RF-2.

Material and methods. The study was performed as part of a multicenter epidemiological study “Epidemiology of cardiovascular diseases in the regions of the Russian Federation. The second study (ESSE-RF-2)”. In total, 6681 people 25-64 years old from 4 regions of Russian Federation were included in the analysis. The CKD-EPI formula was used to calculate GFR by blood creatinine level. Groups with normal GFR (≥90 ml/min/1.73 m²), with an initial decrease in GFR (<90 ml/min/1.73 m²), and with a decrease in GFR (<60 ml/min/1.73 m²) were distinguished for statistical analysis. Generalized linear/nonlinear analysis (GLM) was used for multivariate assessment and adjustment of results to socio-demographic characteristics.

Results. The average GFR level in the total sample was 97.8±16.6 ml/min/1.73 m2 ; 29.0% of individuals had an initial decrease in GFR, 1.6% had a reduced GFR. Age was significantly associated with GFR. A statistically significant association with an initial decrease in GFR was found for: hypercholesterolemia (odds ratio [OR] 1.22; 95% clearance interval [95%CI] 1.14-1.30), hypertriglyceridemia (OR 1.09; 95%CI 1.02-1.17), hyperuricemia (OR 1.51; 95%CI 1.39-1.63), no smoking (OR 0.79; 95%CI 0.73-0.85), history of kidney disease (OR 1.13; 95%CI 1.04-1.22). A more pronounced decrease in GFR was associated with the following factors and diseases: arterial hypertension (OR 1.48; 95%CI 1.07-2.05), low level of high-density lipoproteins (OR 1.36; 95%CI 1.04-1.79), hypertriglyceridemia (OR 1.37; 95%CI 1.08-1.76), hyperuricemia (OR 2.49; 95%CI 1.97-3.16), hyperglycemia (OR 1.35; 95%CI 1.01-1.80), a history of myocardial infarction (OR 1.63; 95%CI 1.13-2.36) and kidney disease (OR 1.50; 95%CI 1.16-1.93).

Conclusion. The results of the study indicate a greater number of factors and diseases associated with low GFR compared with the initial decrease, which emphasizes the need for early detection of signs of chronic kidney disease, especially in the elderly, in people with metabolic syndrome, hypertension or diabetes mellitus, as well as a history of kidney disease.
Study the Effect of Cold Plasma on the Nonlinear Properties of Polymeric Membranes Rod Amine (R3Go)
Authors: Et al. Keta
Published: April 2020

The nonlinear optical properties for polymeric (PMMA) doping with dye Rhodmine (R3Go) has been studied .The samples are prepared by normal polymerization method with concentrations of 5x10-5mol/l and a thickness of 272.5µm.

                         Plasma effect was studied on samples prepared before and after exposure to the Nd: YAG laser for three times 5, 10 and 15 minutes. Z-Scan technique is used to determine the nonlinear optical properties such as; refractive index (n2) and the coefficient of nonlinear absorption (β). It was found that the nonlinear properties is change by increasing of plasma exposure time, this result gives good indication about the effect of plasma on the internal structure of the polymer.
Estudo Comprativo sobre o Sistema de Acreditação da FATEC (SP) E FAETERJ (RJ)
Authors: De Lima Juliana , Aguilar Luis
Published: April 2020

A acreditação está presente em diversos sistemas de Educação Superior no mundo, este processo de avaliação surge devido à preocupação com a qualidade do ensino e consequentemente com a formação dos alunos que frequentam os cursos oferecidos pelas Instituições de Ensino Superior (IES). É possível observar que discussões sobre o tema acreditação tem repercutido na Europa e Estados Unidos (EUA), lembrando que a criação desse ideal surgiu a partir da Declaração de Bolonha (1999) que determinava a padronização do Ensino Superior, no que se refere aos currículos, como forma de garantir a qualidade do ensino. (POLIDORI,CARVALHO, 2016).
Proteoglycan-4 Regulates Fibroblast to Myofibroblast Transition and Expression of Fibrotic Genes in the Synovium
Authors: Qadri Marwa , Jay Gregory D. , Zhang Ling X. , Richendrfer Holly , Schmidt Tannin A. , Elsaid Khaled Ahmed
Published: April 2020

Background: Synovial tissue fibrosis is common in advanced OA with features including the presence of stress fiber-positive myofibroblasts and deposition of cross-linked collagen type-I. Proteoglycan-4 (PRG4) is a mucinous glycoprotein secreted by synovial fibroblasts and is a major component of synovial fluid. PRG4 is a ligand of the CD44 receptor. Our objective was to examine the role of PRG4-CD44 interaction in regulating synovial tissue fibrosis in vitro and in vivo. Methods: OA synoviocytes were treated with TGF-β ± PRG4 for 24 hours and α-SMA content was determined using immunofluorescence. Rhodamine labeled rhPRG4 was incubated with OA synoviocytes ± anti-CD44 or isotype control antibodies and cellular uptake of rhPRG4 was determined following a 30-min incubation and a-SMA expression following a 24-hour incubation. HEK-TGF-β cells were treated with TGF-β ± rhPRG4 and Smad3 phosphorylation was determined using immunofluorescence and TGF-β/Smad pathway activation was determined colorimetrically. We probed for stress fibers and focal adhesions (FAs) in TGF-β treated murine fibroblasts and fibroblast migration was quantified ± rhPRG4. Synovial expression of fibrotic markers: α-SMA, collagen type-I and PLOD2 in Prg4 gene trap (Prg4GT) and recombined Prg4GTR animals was studied at 2 and 9 months of age. Synovial expression of α-SMA and PLOD2 was determined in 2-months old Prg4GT/GT&Cd44-/- and Prg4GTR/GTR&Cd44-/- animals. Results: PRG4 reduced α-SMA content in OA synoviocytes (p<0.001). rhPRG4 was internalized by OA synoviocytes via CD44 and CD44 neutralization attenuated rhPRG4’s antifibrotic effect (p<0.05). rhPRG4 reduced pSmad3 signal in HEK-TGF-β cells (p<0.001) and TGF-β/Smad pathway activation (p<0.001). rhPRG4 reduced the number of stress fiber-positive myofibroblasts, FAs mean size, and cell migration in TGF-β treated NIH3T3 fibroblasts (p<0.05). rhPRG4 inhibited fibroblast migration in a macrophage and fibroblast co-culture model without altering active or total TGF-β levels. Synovial tissues of 9-months old Prg4GT/GT animals had higher α-SMA, collagen type-I and PLOD2 (p<0.001) content and Prg4 re-expression reduced these markers (p<0.01). Prg4 re-expression also reduced α-SMA and PLOD2 staining in CD44-deficient mice. Conclusion: PRG4 is an endogenous antifibrotic modulator in the joint and its effect on myofibroblast formation is partially mediated by CD44, but CD44 is not required to demonstrate an antifibrotic effect in vivo.
A Competing Risk Nomogram Predicting Cause-specific Mortality in Patients with Lung Adenosquamous Carcinoma
Authors: Wu Xiao , Yu Wenfeng , Petersen RH , Sheng Hongxu , Wang Yiqing , Lv Wang , Hu Jian
Published: April 2020

Background: Adenosquamous carcinoma (ASC) is an uncommon histological subtype of lung cancer. The purpose of this study was to assess the cumulative incidences of lung cancer-specific mortality (LC-SM) and other cause-specific mortality (OCSM) in lung ASC patients, and construct a corresponding competing risk nomogram for LC-SM. Methods: Data on 2,705 patients with first primary lung ASC histologically diagnosed between 2004 and 2015 were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The cumulative incidence function (CIF) was utilized to calculate the 3-year and 5-year probabilities of LC-SM and OCSM, and a competing risk model was built. Based on the model, we developed a competing risk nomogram to predict the 3-year and 5-year cumulative probabilities of LC-SM and the corresponding concordance indexes (C-indexes) and calibration curves were derived to assess the model performance. To evaluate the clinical usefulness of the nomogram, decision curve analysis (DCA) was conducted. Furthermore, patients were categorized into three groups according to the tertile values of the nomogram-based scores, and their survival differences were assessed using CIF curves. Results: The 3-year and 5-year cumulative mortalities were 49.6% and 55.8% for LC-SM and 8.2% and 11.8% for OCSM, respectively. In multivariate analysis, increasing age, male sex, no surgery, and advanced T, N and M stages were related to a significantly higher likelihood of LC-SM. The nomogram showed good calibration, and the 3-year and 5-year C-indexes for predicting the probabilities of LC-SM in the validation cohort were both 0.79, which were almost equal to those of the ten-fold cross validation. DCA demonstrated that using the nomogram gained more benefit when the threshold probabilities were set within the ranges of 0.24-0.89 and 0.25-0.91 for 3-year and 5-year LCSM, respectively. In both the training and validation cohorts, the high-risk group had the highest probabilities of LC-SM, followed by the medium-risk and low-risk groups (both P<0.0001). Conclusions: The competing risk nomogram displayed excellent discrimination and calibration for predicting LC-SM. With the aid of this individualized predictive tool, clinicians can more expediently devise appropriate treatment protocols and follow-up schedules.
Global trends of researches on pycho-oncology during 1999-2019: A 21-year bibliometric study based on VOSviewer
Authors: Zhang Chengjiao , Hu Guangfu , Qiu Xiaochun , Pan Lingyi , Wang Cheng
Published: April 2020

BackgroundThe studies on psycho-oncology are growing rapidly, but there were no bibliometric studies regarding psycho-oncology. This study was to explore a bibliometric analysis of psycho-oncology in the past 21 years at a global level.MethodsThe literature was searched in Web of Science (WOS) by using subject terms. VOSviewer software was used for bibliometric analysis of the retrieval results.ResultsThe literature search yielded 1921 papers. After screening process, 968 papers were included, which came from 55 countries/regions, 1,452 organizations and 4,152 authors. The top three countries/regions, organizations and authors ranked by the number of published papers were the United States of America (USA) (286), Germany (143) and Australia (130); the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre (MSKCC) (New York, USA) (34), Newcastle University (Newcastle, Australia) (29) and McGill University (Montreal, Canada) (28); Luigi Grassi (University of Ferrara in Italy) (26), Tatsuo Akechi (Nagoya City University Hospital in Japan) (20) and Anja Mehnert (University of Leipzig in Germany) (18), respectively. Moreover, the 968 papers contained 1,768 author keywords, involved in 300 journals and cited 28,311 references. The top three co-occurrence author keywords, most-involved journals and most-cited references were “Quality-of-life”, “Depression” and “Breast cancer”; Psycho-Oncology, Supportive Care in Cancer and Journal of Psychosocial Oncology; “Zigmond AS, 1983”, “Zabora J, 2001” and “Mitchell AJ, 2011”, respectively.ConclusionsThere was a growing trend in published papers related to psycho-oncology, with the organizations and authors from developed countries leading the field. “Quality-of-life”, “Depression” and “Breast cancer” reflected the most hotspots, and the latest progress can be tracked in Psycho-Oncology.
Skin microvascular vasomotion is synchronous at acupoints of beagle dogs
Authors: zhang tao , Liu Chun , Hu Ge , Mu Xiang
Published: April 2020

Background/purpose: Skin microvessels at acupoints have been documented to be more abundant and well-organized, and the synchronous microvascular vasomotion was detected at acupoints in our previous human study. This present study aimed to characterize the skin microvascular vasomotion at acupoints on the twelve meridians of beagle dogs. Materials and Methods: Two acupoints were selected on each meridian, and exactly located at the rosy red spots by an electrochemical color-appearing method, where the electrical resistance was measured. The skin blood flow at acupoints was recorded by laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF), and microvascular vasomotion was analyzed according to LDF waveforms. Results: The skin electrical resistance at acupoints was significantly lower than that at control non-acupoints. The LDF waveforms at acupoints was sinusoidal, which showed the synchronization of the microvascular vasomotion. The spectral analysis revealed that the vasomotion frequencies at acupoints on the same meridian were identical but not among different meridians, and the frequencies on the twelve main meridians displayed a constant order. Conclusion: The skin microvascular vasomotion is synchronous at acupoints of beagle dogs and has a specific frequency along the meridian, and the electrochemical color-appearing method is a feasible strategy for the precise and visual location of acupoints. The study provides evidence for the universality of synchronous vasomotion of skin microvessels at acupoints and contributes to clarifying the essence of acupoints and their effect mechanism.
Proteomic analysis identified salivary immunoglobulin gamma-3 chain C as a potential biomarker for systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Jung Ju-Yang , Nam Jin-Young , Ryu Keun-Sil , Shin Joo-Ho , Lee Sung- Min , Baek Wook-Young , Kim Hyoun-Ah , Suh Chang-Hee
Published: April 2020

Background

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the production of autoantibodies and systemic inflammatory response. We aimed to characterize the salivary protein components and find biomarkers in patients with SLE.
Methods

The pooled salivary proteins of patients with SLE and healthy controls were subjected to 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis. The spots exhibiting > 2-fold intensity change between SLE and healthy controls were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis.
Results

The proteomic analysis using 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry revealed 10 differentially expressed protein spots, which included immunoglobulin gamma-3 chain C region (IGHG3), immunoglobulin alpha-1 chain C region (IGHA1), protein S100, lactoferrin, leukemia-associated protein 7, and 8-oxoguanine deoxyribonucleic acid glycosylase. The patients with SLE exhibited enhanced salivary IGHG3 (3.9 ± 2.15 pg/mL) and lactoferrin (4.7 ± 1.8 pg/mL) levels than patients with rheumatoid arthritis (1.8 ± 1.01 pg/mL and 3.2 ± 1.6 pg/mL, respectively, p < 0.001 for both) or healthy controls (2.2 ± 1.64 pg/mL and 2.2 ± 1.7 pg/mL, respectively, p < 0.001 for both). The salivary IGHG3 levels correlated with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r = 0.26, p = 0.01), anti-double-strand deoxyribonucleic acid antibody levels (r = 0.25, p = 0.01), and nephritis (r = 0.28, p = 0.01).
Conclusions

Patients with SLE exhibited elevated salivary IGHG3 and lactoferrin levels, and the salivary IGHG3 levels correlated with disease activity markers of SLE. Salivary IGHG3 may be a promising non-invasive biomarker in SLE.
Metatranscriptomic approach for microbiome characterization and host gene expression evaluation for “Hoja de malvón” disease in Vitis vinifera cv. Malbec
Authors: Paolinelli Marcos , Escoriaza Georgina , Cesari Cecilia , Garcia-Lampasona Sandra , Hernandez-Martinez Rufina
Published: April 2020

Background: Grapevine Trunk Diseases (GTD) threat worldwide wine and table grape production, mainly reducing grape yields and in advanced stages causing the death of diseased vines. A particular GTD of enormous concern in Argentinean vitiviniculture is the complex etiology disease locally known as "Hoja de malvón" (HDM). At least four different fungi are involved in the disease, which complicates the diagnostic and the design of strategies for vineyard management. Similar to Esca grape disease, factors that make this disease difficult to control are the presence of pathogens that not always correlates with disease symptoms or physiological changes in the host. Also the abiotic stress on grapevine seems to favors the disease process. Based on this background, it is essential to have molecular tools that allow for simultaneous explorations of the host immunity status and the microbiome composition. Results: A metatranscriptomic approach was followed and different strategies for microbiome characterization, throughmolecular marker reconstruction or unique kmer counts, were evaluated. Malbec microbiome was mainly represented for Dothideomycetes and Actinobacteria. Higher Basidiomycota/Ascomycota ratio was found in symptomatic (SYM) than in asymptomatic (ASYM) plants, with the Basidiomycota Arrambaria destruens found in higher levels in SYM plants. Besides, from mRNA-derived reads, the host functional status and main microbial functions based on gene expression were evaluated. Stress-tolerance mechanisms were activated on ASYM plants, being spermidine synthesis one of the most important, while from the microbiome side, prokaryotic tricarboxylic acid pathways were the primary differential function in SYM plants. Conclusions: This is a pioneering work for the characterization of multi-kingdom endophytic microbiome in woody tissues of grapevine cv. Malbec. Several microorganisms with negative interaction with GTD pathogens were identified and can be further explored as biological control agents for HDM disease. The integral analysis employed suggests that measuring Basidiomycota/Ascomycota ratio and spermidine-associated gene expression would help to monitor the sanitary status of grapevine and the propensity to develop HDM disease. This study provides a departure point for a better comprehension of HDM disease that can be used as a roadmap for further development of curative practices of GTD.
EXTENSÃO DO MÉTODO APAC AO SISTEMA CARCERÁRIO BRASILEIRO: UMA ALTERNATIVA PARA A PENA PRIVATIVA DE LIBERDADE
Authors: LIMA Paulo Natanael Vieira
Published: April 2020

O presente artigo descreve a realidade do sistema carcerário brasileiro e a reflexão doutrinária acerca do tema. Em seguida, descreve o método de tratamento do encarcerado desenvolvido pela Associação de Proteção e Assistência aos Condenados, na tentativa de estendê-lo a todas as penitenciárias do país.
A AUTOCOMPOSIÇÃO NOS CONFLITOS JUDICIAIS
Authors: SOUTO MAIOR Nívea Maria Santos
Published: April 2020

O presente artigo visa ao estudo da autocomposição como resolução apropriada para conflitos judiciais. Primeiramente, cumpre a missão de traçar um arcabouço histórico e legislativo descrevendo a virada cultural do litígio para pacificação. Em seguida, são analisadas algumas espécies autocompositivas aplicadas nos conflitos levados ao Poder Judiciário, a exemplo da mediação e conciliação. Ao final, concluem-se as vantagens da autocomposição como obtenção de uma Justiça mais célere visando o empoderamento das partes e a satisfação de seus reais interesses.
GREVE DOS CAMINHONEIROS: DIREITO DO TRABALHO COMO FERRAMENTA DE REGULAÇÃO SOCIAL
Authors: MARTIN Andréia Garcia , BRAGHINI Marcelo
Published: April 2020

No contexto da Reforma Trabalhista promulgada por intermédio da Lei n. 13.467/17, discute-se os desafios decorrentes da greve dos caminhoneiros ocorrida em 2018 no Brasil, em razão do evidente retrocesso social representado pelo movimento de flexibilização legal, paulatinamente, adotado pelo legislador pátrio, concomitante com a desarticulação do sistema sindical, não havendo soluções eficientes a medida que o Direito do Trabalho não seja utilizado como ferramenta de regulamentação social. A pesquisa vale-se do tipo de pesquisa bibliográfica e documental; pelos tipos de raciocínio indutivo e analógico. Com o intuito de tornar possível uma alternativa legal e doutrinária com vistas a superar a crise instalada e promova equilibrio e equidade contratual.
OS AVANÇOS E DESAFIOS NA IMPLEMENTAÇÃO DE POLÍTICAS PÚBLICAS PARA A PROTEÇÃO DOS DIREITOS SOCIAIS DA PESSOA IDOSA IMIGRANTE NO BRASIL
Authors: SILVA Marcos Vinicius Viana da , SCHERF Erick Da Luz
Published: April 2020

O aumento dos fluxos imigratórios decorrentes principalmente dos diversos processos de globalização, atrelado ao envelhecimento relativo das sociedades ao redor do mundo tem trazido algumas preocupações acerca da implementação de políticas públicas para a proteção dos direitos sociais fundamentais da pessoa idosa imigrante em realidades nacionais distintas. É nesse contexto que esta pesquisa se assenta, tendo como objetivos identificar os principais avanços e desafios na implementação destas políticas públicas que visam a proteção da dignidade humana da pessoa idosa imigrante no contexto do Estado brasileiro. O método utilizado foi o descritivo-explicativo por meio de pesquisa bibliográfica e documental. As principais conclusões foram de que o principal desafio à proteção integral dos direitos fundamentais da população idosa imigrante no Brasil dar-se-á pela inexistência de marco legislativo específico e pela negligência da nova Lei de imigração em reconhecer a situação vulnerável dos idosos imigrantes no país.
Anais 13º Encontro do Grupo Brasileiro de Reciclagem em Prótese e Implante
Authors: Castro Humberto Lago de , Lemos Cleidiel Aparecido Araújo
Published: April 2020

EditorialPrezados Colegas, O Grupo Brasileiro de Reciclagem em Prótese e Implante (GBRPI) é uma entidade sem fins lucrativos que tem a proposta de reunir os Cirurgiões Dentistas que atuam na área de Reabilitação Oral. Nosso grupo é a sequência do Grupo de Reciclagem em Prótese Dentária (GRPD) que desde a década de 80 realizava reuniões periódicas com os professores das disciplinas de Prótese Dentária para trocar experiências e atualizar o conhecimento. A mudança do estatuto em 2006 alterou o nome do GRPD para GBRPI por uma necessidade, visto que a Reabilitação Oral com uso de implantes ósseo integráveis era uma realidade da clínica odontológica, congregando profissionais das diferentes áreas que atuam de forma integrada na Reabilitação Oral.O GBRPI se encontra anualmente e regularmente há 13 anos, com o intuito de aproximar instituições de ensino através do contato entre professores, alunos, profissionais e empresas parceiras. A atividade científica tem sido intensa ao longo destes anos, através da apresentação e discussão de trabalhos científicos e elaboração de livros didáticos. Essa aproximação gera frutos nos cursos de graduação e Programas de Pós-Graduação, com o intercâmbio de alunos e de professores, bem como de parceiros do evento, fazendo com que todos sejam contemplados com bons resultados.No 13º Encontro do GBRPI que ocorreu no Orotour Garden Hotel em Campos do Jordão/SP em abril de 2019, contamos com uma Comissão Organizadora focada em palestrantes de projeção internacional tanto na parte científica quanto clínica, trazendo o que há de mais recente e inovador em prótese e implante, sem deixar de lado as evidências científicas dos resultados apresentados.A parte científica também foi contemplada através da apresentação de painéis onde o Grupo prestigia e reconhece o esforço dos autores com premiações, como, por exemplo, uma passagem para apresentação do trabalho no encontro anual do IADR.Venha participar para reciclar o conhecimento e nos proporcionar a sua companhia. Todos que tem a intenção de melhorar a Odontologia são muito bem-vindos ao nosso grupo!Humberto Lago de CastroPresidente do GBRPI