bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association among biofilm formation, virulence gene expression, and antibiotic resistance in Proteus mirabilis isolates from diarrhetic animals in northeast China
Authors: Sun Yadong , Wen Shanshan , Zhao Lili , Xia Qiqi , Pan Yue , Liu Hanghang , Wei Chengwei , Chen Hongyan , Ge Junwei , Wang Hongbin
Published: January 2020

Background The aim of this study was to investigate the association among biofilm formation, virulence gene expression, and antibiotic resistance in P. mirabilis isolates collected from diarrhetic animals (n = 176) in northeast China between September 2014 and October 2016. Results Approximately 92.05% of the isolates were biofilm producers, whereas 7.95% of the isolates were non-producers. The prevalence of virulence genes in biofilm producers was significantly higher than that in non-producers. Biofilm production was significantly associated with the expression of ureC , zapA , rsmA , hmpA , mrpA , atfA , and pmfA ( P < 0.05). Drug susceptibility tests revealed that approximately 76.7% of the isolates were multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR). Biofilm production was significantly associated with resistance to doxycycline, tetracycline, sulfamethoxazole, kanamycin, and cephalothin ( P < 0.05). Although the pathogenicity of the biofilm producers was stronger than that of the non-producers, the biofilm-forming ability of the isolates was not significantly associated with morbidity and mortality in mice ( P > 0.05). Conclusion Our findings suggested that a high level of multidrug resistance in diarrhetic animals infected with P. mirabilis in northeast China.The results of this study indicated that the positive rates of the genes expressed by biofilm-producing P. mirabilis isolates were significantly higher than those expressed by non-producing isolates.
A scoping review of initiatives to reduce inappropriate or non-beneficial hospital admission and bed days in people nearing the end of their life: Much innovation but limited supporting evidence
Authors: Taylor Ros , Ellis Jonathan , Gao Wei , Searle Liz , Heaps Kate , Davies Robert , Hawksworth Claire , Garcia-Perez Angela , Colclough Giles , Walker Steven , Wee Bee
Published: January 2020

Objectives Hospitalisation during the last weeks of life when there is no medical need or desire to be there is distressing and expensive. This study sought palliative care initiatives which may avoid or shorten hospital stay at the end of life and analysed their success in terms reducing bed days. Methods Part 1 included a search of literature in PubMed and Google Scholar between 2013 and 2018, an examination of governmental and organisational publications plus discussions with external and co-author experts regarding other sources. This initial sweep sought to identify and categorise relevant palliative care initiatives. In Part 2, we looked for publications providing data on hospital admissions and bed days for each category. Results A total of 1252 abstracts were reviewed, resulting in ten broad classes being identified. Further screening revealed 50 relevant publications describing a range of multi-component initiatives. Studies were generally small and retrospective. Most researchers claim their service delivered benefits. In descending frequency, benefits identified were support in the community, integrated care, out-of-hours telephone advice, care home education and telemedicine. Nurses and hospices were central to many initiatives. Barriers and factors underpinning success were rarely addressed. Conclusions A wide range of initiatives have been introduced to improve end-of-life experiences. Formal evidence supporting their effectiveness in reducing inappropriate/non-beneficial hospital bed days was generally limited or absent.
Prevalence of Group B Streptococcus Colonization in Pregnant Women in Jiangsu, East China
Authors: Wang Rui , Qiu Hongmei , Yanmei Ge , Pan Fei , Bian Shuhui
Published: January 2020

Background: Group B streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of early-onset neonatal sepsis. However, GBS was infrequently reported in the developing world in contrast to western countries. This study assessed the prevalence of GBS colonization among pregnant women in Jiangsu, East China and reveled the difference of GBS infection between culture and PCR .
Methods: A total of 16,184 pregnant women at 34 to 37 weeks, gestation aged 16–47 years were recruited from Nanjing Kingmed Diagnostics. There were 9022 pregnant women receiving GBS screening by PCR detection only. 7162 pregnant women received GBS screening by bacterial culture and GBS-positive samples were tested for antibiotic resistance.
Results: The overall GBS positive rate was 8.7% by PCR and 3.5% by culture. There was no significant age difference of GBS infection, but the 25-29 age group and people aged over 40 years should pay more attention . The 249 GBS-positive samples which detected by culture were all sensitive to penicillin. The prevalence of resistance to erythromycin, clindamycin and levofloxacin was 77.5%, 68.3% and 52.2%, respectively.
Conclusions: This study revealed the data on the prevalence of GBS colonization in pregnant women in Jiangsu, East China. And it compared the difference of GBS infection between culture and PCR. PCR was expectd to become a quick method in pregnancy women conventional detection of GBS infection.
Extracellular vesicle-mediated amyloid transfer to neural progenitor cells: implications for RAGE and HIV infection
Authors: András Ibolya E. , Garcia-Contreras Marta , Yanick Christopher , Perez Paola , Sewell Brice , Durand Leonardo , Toborek Michal
Published: January 2020

Amyloid beta (Aβ) deposition was demonstrated to be elevated in the brains of HIV-infected patients and associated with neurocognitive decline; however, the mechanisms of these processes are poorly understood. The goal of the current study was to address the hypothesis that Aβ can be transferred via extracellular vesicles (ECVs) from brain endothelial cells to neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and that this process can contribute to abnormal NPC differentiation. Mechanistically, we focused on the role of the receptor for advanced glycation endproducts (RAGE) and activation of the inflammasome in these events. ECVs loaded with Aβ (Aβ-ECVs) were readily taken up by NPCs and Aβ partly colocalized with the inflammasome markers ASC and NLRP3 in the nuclei of the recipient NPCs. This colocalization was affected by HIV and RAGE inhibition by a high-affinity specific inhibitor FPS-ZM1. Blocking RAGE resulted also in an increase in ECV number produced by brain endothelial cells, decreased Aβ content in ECVs, and diminished Aβ-ECVs transfer to NPC nuclei. Interestingly, both Aβ-ECVs and RAGE inhibition altered NPC differentiation. Overall, these data indicate that RAGE inhibition affects brain endothelial ECV release and Aβ-ECVs transfer to NPCs. These events may modulate ECV-mediated amyloid pathology in the HIV-infected brain and contribute to the development of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders.
Comparative metagenomic analysis of small ruminants' fecal microbiota
Authors: Shabana Iman , Bouqellah N A , Albakri N N
Published: January 2020

The authors have withdrawn this preprint from Research Square.
Collection and handling of mouse oocytes/embryos
Authors: SANKAR ADITYA
Published: January 2020

This procedure describes how to retrieve mouse oocytes and/or embryos, clean and process them for ChIP or RNASeq experiments
Role of school as supportive entity for positive oral health behaviour of adolescents in south-western Nigeria
Authors: Lawal Folake Barakat , Oke Gbemisola Aderemi
Published: January 2020

Background The school is primed as an avenue for promoting health among adolescents. Conversely, the high unmet dental needs among school-going adolescents raises concern about the role of schools in this task. This study therefore assessed the role of schools in promoting positive oral health behaviour among adolescents through Capabilities, Opportunities, Motivation (COM-B) model in a Low-Income-Country.Methods Two thousand and ninety-seven students aged 12-18 years were recruited from 30 randomly selected Secondary Schools in a cross sectional study conducted in Ibadan, Nigeria. Data on Capabilities; Oral Health Knowledge (K), Attitude (A), Practices (P) and Motivation of the students as well as oral health promotional (OHP) activities (Opportunities) in the schools were assessed through a questionnaire. A checklist was used to assess availability of OHP materials and the schools’ tuck shops for sale of healthy food (Opportunities). Data were analyzed with STATA version 14.Results The mean KAP score was 43.8 (± 11.4)%. Oral health education was the only activity reported and this was in 8 (26.7%) schools; only 331 (15.8%) students had been educated about their oral health. There were no oral health promotional materials in the schools. About half 1161 (55.4%) were motivated to participate in school oral health program. All the tucks shops had cariogenic foods and drinks for sale. Students who had better KAP scores - Capabilities (OR = 1.2, 95%CI = 1.0-1.5, p = 0.018) or had been educated about oral health - Opportunities (OR = 1.5, 95%CI = 1.2-2.0, p < 0.001) were better motivated about their oral health.Conclusion The schools surveyed played very little or no role to support positive oral health behavior of adolescents. There were no OHP materials in the schools. Students who had superior oral health KAP (capabilities) or had been exposed to oral health education (opportunities) were better motivated about their oral health.
A Retrospective study of Low vision intervention in individuals with central field loss and peripheral field loss
Authors: Raman Rajiv , Gopalakrishnan Sarika , Sathyaprasath Mathangi
Published: January 2020

Background The objective of this study was to estimate the visual impairment in patients with central field loss (CFL) and peripheral field loss (PFL), to analyze the type of low vision devices prescribed and to compare the visual benefits who presented to Low Vision Care clinic at a tertiary eye care center in India. Methods A retrospective review was done for 450 patients with low vision who visited LVC clinic from January 2017 to December 2017. The subjects were categorized into two groups: CFL and PFL. Demographic profile such as age, gender, occupation, ocular history, visual acuity status and low vision device preferred was collected and documented. Results Out of 450 patients, 242 (53.8%) were diagnosed to have CFL and 208 (46.2%) had PFL. 323 (71.8%) were men and 127 (28.2%) were women. The sum of median age of both the groups were 34.5 years, while the median age of CFL and PFL group was 36 and 34 years respectively. Atrophy related macular disorder (54.1%) was the major reason causing central field loss and Retinitis Pigmentosa (81.7%) for peripheral field loss. CFL group (76%) preferred low vision devices more than PFL group (65.9%). The ratio of task difficulties for both distance and near were 1:2 for central and peripheral field loss respectively. Electronic video magnifier was preferred more in CFL group. There was a statistically significant improvement ( P < 0.05) in distance and near vision with the help of low vision devices in both the groups. ConclusionsThe use of low vision devices in both CFL and PFL can help the patients in restoring useful vision.
Proteomic analysis of tears and serum for dry eye disease using ovariectomized cynomolgus monkey
Authors: yang xiaolong , Xu Yue , Wang Yun , Li Chang , Zhang Xiaofeng
Published: January 2020

Background Ovariectomized cynomolgus monkey 30 months after surgery was selected as the research object to identify protein changes in tears and serum to provide a reference for the diagnosis and pathogenesis of dry eye in menopausal women. Methods Six cynomolgus monkey were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group (3 in each group). The experimental group underwent bilateral ovariectomy, while the control group underwent sham surgery with their ovaries reserved. Proteomic analysis was performed by LC-MS/MS on tears and serum collected from two groups. Differentially expressed proteins were identified and were performed cluster analysis, which included gene ontology, the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway and protein-protein interaction. Results 33 differentially expressed proteins have been identified in tears and17 differentially expressed proteins have been identified in serum. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis in tears has discovered Glucagon signaling pathway and neurotrophin signaling pathway may play an important role in the pathogenesis of dry eye. Gene ontology enrichment analysis in serum has discovered insulin-like growth factor binding and growth factor binding in molecular function probably make effort in pathogenesis of dry eye. KEGG analysis in serum has discovered salivary secretion may be the key pathway in pathogenesis of dry eye. Conclusions Protein G7PCH4, Q2PG17 and G7PT55 in tears may be the key protein in pathogenesis of dry eyes. Protein G7P1T1, G7PUN9 and G8F302 in serum may play an important role in pathogenesis of dry eyes.
Evaluating influence of customer and scheme qualities in selecting a medical scheme by using choice and loglinear modelling: Case of healthcare services in Zimbabwe
Authors: Mwembe Desmond , Khamis Harry J , Jones Brian , Chagwiza Wilbert
Published: January 2020

Background Marketing of medical aid schemes in Zimbabwe after the hyperinflationary period before 2008 has been a mammoth task due to the loss of trust in insurance companies, medical aid companies included. Selecting an affordable scheme that best suits a client's needs is not easy due to the wide variety of medical schemes that are available. Methods Purposive sampling of people with medical aid schemes was conducted. Random sampling was done to select the sample from which information was obtained using questionnairs. Results A number of factors are considered to understand the behaviour of clients in this industry. Correspondingly, scheme characteristics are examined through a random sample of 1222 Zimbabwean medical aid society clients to understand preferences by clients in relation to the medical schemes. It was established that experience, contribution, sex, family size, employment, education and salary are the main drivers in selecting medical aid schemes. Age was found to be nonsignificant in influencing choice of a medical aid scheme. Type of scheme and quality were also seen to be independent and these two were highly associated with rejection. Conclusion It is recommended that, to ease the difficulty of selling medical aid schemes, client characteristics need to be understood so as to increase uptake of medical aid schemes in Zimbabwe. Choosing a low or high premium medical aid scheme is recommended to clients to reduce the rejection rate by medical practitioners, and hence improve access to healthcare services.
Naringin suppressing the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway as a drug target in BIU87 cells
Authors: Li Jianzhong , Zhao Jing , Zhang Huayang , Liu Meixia , Li Xin
Published: January 2020

Background: Flavonoids are regarded as potential anti-cancer drugs due to their toxicity and anti-proliferation functions. Naringin, which is a kind of flavanone compounds targeting anti-tumor treatment, has been focused on reliving several types of cancers, besides of bladder cancer. This paper was aimed to investigate whether and how naringin induced bladder cancer cells. Method: MTT, cell-cycle, transwell and cell apoptosis were used to assess the cellular responses. Molecular expressions and the signaling pathway of naringin inducing BIU87 cells were evaluated by western blot and real-time quantitative PCR. Results: It was found that naringin effectively suppressed proliferation and invasion of BIU87 cells by downregulating the expression of PI3K and its downstream pathway. The corresponding proteins related to viability and motility, including CDK2, Bcl-2 and Fascin, were inhibited. Conclusion: It can be concluded that naringin targeting to PI3K in bladder tumor cells expressed abundantly and inhibited the growth and invasive ability of tumor cells.
Engineering the CBB cycle and hydrogen utilization pathway of Ralstonia eutropha H16 for improved autotrophic growth and PHB production
Authors: Li Zhongkang , Hu Muzi , Xiong Bin , Zhao Dongdong , Zhang Chunzhi , Bi Changhao , Zhang Xueli
Published: January 2020

CO 2 is fixed by all living organisms with an autotrophic metabolism, among which the Calvin-Benson-Bassham ( CBB) cycle is the most important and widespread carbon fixation pathway. Thus, studying and engineering the CBB cycle with the associated energy providing pathways to increase the CO 2 fixation efficiency of cells is an important subject of biological research with significant application potential. In this work, the autotrophic microbe Ralstonia eutropha H16 was selected as a research platform for CBB cycle optimization engineering. By knocking out either CBB operon genes on the operon or mega-plasmid of R. eutropha , we found that both CBB operons were active and contributed almost equally to the carbon fixation process. With similar knock-out experiments, we found while both soluble and membrane-bound hydrogenases (SH and MBH), belonging to the energy providing hydrogenase module, were f unctional d uring autotrophic growth of R. eutropha. And SH played a more significant role. By introducing a heterologous cyanobacterial RuBisCO with the endogenous GroES/EL chaperone system and RbcX, the culture OD 600 of engineered strain increased 89.15% after 72 hours of autotrophic growth, indicating cyanobacterial RuBisCO with a higher activity was functional in R. eutropha and improved upon original CBB pathway. Meanwhile, expression of hydrogenases were optimized by modulating the expression of MBH and SH, which could further increase the R. eutropha H16 culture OD 600 to 93.4% at 72 hours. Moreover, the autotrophic yield of its major industrially relevant product, polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), was increased by 99.71%. To our best knowledge, this is the first report of successfully engineering the CBB pathway of R. eutropha for improved activity , and is one of only a few cases where the efficiency of CO 2 assimilation pathway was improved. Our work demonstrates that R. eutropha is an extremely useful platform for studying and engineering the CBB for applications in more important organisms, such as agricultural crops, and a potential microbial cell factory to develop industrial biotechnology for sequestrating CO 2 .
Development of a nomogram to predict in-hospital mortality of sepsis-associated encephalopathy: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Yang Yang , Liang Shengru , Geng Jie , Wang Qiuhe , Wang Pan , Cao Yuan , Li Rong , Gao Guodong , Li Lihong
Published: January 2020

Background Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is related to an increased in-hospital mortality in patients with sepsis. We aim to establish a user-friendly nomogram for individual prediction of in-hospital death probability in patients with SAE. MethodsData were retrospectively retrieved from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC III) open source clinical database. SAE was defined by a Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) <15 at the presence of sepsis. Prediction model with a nomogram was constructed in the training set by Logistic regression analysis and then internally validated. A decision curve analysis (DCA) was performed to evaluate the net benefit of intervention with the nomogram. Results A total of 669 and 287 patients with SAE were randomly assigned to training set and internal validation set according to an allocation ratio of 7:3, respectively. Parameters eligible for the nomogram included age, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and the mean values of heart rate, temperature and respiratory rate at first day of ICU admission. The nomogram exhibited good discrimination with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.773 (95%CI: 0.729–0.818) in the training set and 0.741 (95%CI 0.673–0.809) in the validation set, respectively. Calibration of the derived model was also excellent, with Brier score of 0.136 (95%CI: 0.12­–0.153) and 0.168 (95%CI: 0.144–0.192) in both sets. The DCA of the nomogram indicated greater net benefit than SOFA. X-tile analysis showed that the nomogram can clearly stratify patients into three subgroups with different risks of in-hospital death. Conclusions The nomogram presents excellent performance in predicting in-hospital mortality of SAE patients, which can guide the prevention of SAE progression and may be more beneficial once specific treatments towards SAE are developed.
Pediatric hypophosphatasia: a retrospective single-centre chart review of 50 children
Authors: Vogt Marius , Girschick Hermann , Schweitzer Tilmann , Benoit Clemens , Holl-Wieden Annette , Seefried Lothar , Jakob Franz , Hofmann Christine
Published: January 2020

Background: Hypophosphatasia (HPP) is a rare, inherited metabolic disorder caused by loss-of-function mutations in the ALPL gene that encodes the tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase TNAP (ORPHA 436). Its clinical presentation is highly heterogeneous with a remarkably wide-ranging severity. HPP affects patients of all ages. Therefore, diagnosis is often difficult and delayed. To improve the understanding of HPP in children and in order to shorten the diagnostic time span in the future we studied the natural history of the disease in our large cohort of pediatric patients. In light of the enzyme replacement therapy (Asfotase alfa, a recombinant mineral-targeted TNAP), HPP patients may benefit from early and patient severity orientated calculated treatment in the course of the disease. Methods: This single centre retrospective chart review included longitudinal data from 50 patients with HPP diagnosed and followed at the University Children`s Hospital Wuerzburg, Germany over the last 25 years. Results: The cohort comprises 4 (8%) perinatal, 17 (34%) infantile and 29 (58%) childhood onset HPP patients. Two patients were deceased at the time of data collection. Diagnosis was based on available characteristic clinical symptoms (in 88%), low alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity (in 96%), accumulating substrates of AP (in 58%) and X-ray findings (in 48%). Genetic analysis was performed in 48 patients (35 compound heterozygous, 11 heterozygous, 2 homozygous mutations per patient), allowing investigations on genotype-phenotype correlations. Based on anamnestic data, median age at first clinical symptoms was 3.5 months (min. 0, max. 107), while median time to diagnosis was 13 months (min. 0, max. 103). Common symptoms included: impairment of motor skills (78%), impairment of mineralization (72%), premature loss of teeth (64%), musculoskeletal pain and craniosynostosis (each 64%) and failure to thrive (62%). Up to now 20 patients started medical treatment with Asfotase alfa. Conclusions: Reported findings support the clinical perception of HPP being a chronic multi-systemic disease with often delayed diagnosis. Our natural history information provides detailed insights into the prevalence of different symptoms, which can help to improve and shorten diagnostics and thereby lead to an optimised medical care, especially with promising therapeutic options like enzyme-replacement-therapy with Asfotase alfa in mind.
Analysis of the primary and post-treatment antibiotic resistance of Helicobacter pylori in Nanjing area
Authors: zongdan jiang , He Bang-Shun , Zhang Zhen-Yu , Wang Shu-Kui , Ran Dan , WANG Zhi-Bing
Published: January 2020

Background To investigate the current status and trend of Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori)antibiotics resistance over 5 years in Nanjing area.Then we evaluated the primary and post-treatment antibiotic resistance of H. pylori in Nanjing area. Methods During the period from July 2017 to December 2019, 1533 gastric mucosal specimens from patients with positive H. pylori confirmed by breath test or rapid urease test were collected for isolation and identify H. pylori. The agar dilution method was used for antibiotic resistance test. The antibiotic resistance of H. pylori were compared with that in the period from May 2014 to May 2015. Results The result showed that the resistance rates of H. pylori to amoxicillin, clarithromycin, levofloxacin, furazolidone, tetracycline and metronidazole were 2.74%, 47.03%, 33.59%, 0.91%, 0.52% and 80.76%, respectively in the period of July 2017 to December 2019. Compared with the period of May 2014 to May 2015, the resistance rate of metronidazole was the most obvious, from 60.5% to 80.76% in the period of July 2017 to December 2019, followed by clarithromycin from 29.5% to 47.03%, and levofloxacin from 14.7% to 33.59%. The resistance rates of H. pylori (primary Vs post-treatment) to amoxicillin, clarithromycin, levofloxacin, furazolidone, tetracycline and metronidazole were 1.83% Vs 6.08%, 38.62% Vs 77.81%, 27.41% Vs 56.23%, 0.58% Vs 2.13%, 0.33% Vs 1.22%, 78.57% Vs 88.75%, respectively during the period of July 2017 to December 2019. Conclusions Antibiotic resistance of H. pylori remained a problem for the effective eradication of this pathogen and its associated diseases in Nanjing area. For post-treatment eradication patients, clinicians should took into account regional antibiotic resistance rate, personal antibiotic exposure history, economic benefit ratio, adverse antibiotic reactions, antibiotic availability and other aspects.
Understanding transmission and control of the pork tapeworm with CystiAgent: a spatially explicit agent-based model
Authors: Pray Ian Wright , Wakeland Wayne , Pan William , Lambert William E. , Garcia Hector H. , Gonzalez Armando E. , O’Neal Seth E.
Published: January 2020

BackgroundThe pork tapeworm (Taenia solium) is a serious public health problem in rural low-resource areas of Latin America, Africa, and Asia, where the associated conditions of nuerocysticercosis (NCC) and porcine cysticercosis cause substantial health and economic harms. An accurate and validated transmission model for T. solium would serve as an important new tool for control and elimination, as it would allow for comparison of available intervention strategies, and prioritization of the most effective strategies for control and elimination efforts. MethodsWe developed a spatially-explicit agent-based model (ABM) for T. solium (“CystiAgent”) that differs from prior T. solium models by including a spatial framework and behavioral parameters such as pig roaming, open human defecation, and human travel. In this article, we introduce the structure and function of the model, describe the data sources used to parameterize the model, and apply sensitivity analyses (Latin hypercube sampling–partial rank correlation coefficient (LHS-PRCC)) to evaluate model parameters. ResultsLHS-PRCC analysis of CystiAgent found that the parameters with the greatest impact on model uncertainty were the roaming range of pigs, the infectious duration of human taeniasis, use of latrines, and the set of “tuning” parameters defining the probabilities of infection in humans and pigs given exposure to T. solium.ConclusionsCystiAgent is a novel ABM that has the ability to model spatial and behavioral features of T. solium transmission not available in other models. There is a small set of impactful model parameters that contribute uncertainty to the model and may impact the accuracy of model projections. Field and laboratory studies to better understand these key components of transmission may help reduce uncertainty, while current applications of CystiAgent may consider calibration of these parameters to improve model performance. These results will ultimately allow for improved interpretation of model validation results, and usage of the model to compare available control and elimination strategies for T. solium.
Lung Radiofrequency Ablation: Post-procedure Imaging Patterns and Late Follow-up
Authors: Araujo-Filho Jose , Menezes Raonne Souza Almeida Alves , Horvat Natally , Panizza Pedro Sergio Brito , Bernardes João Paulo Giacomini , Damasceno Rodrigo Stanford , Oliveira Brunna Clemente , Menezes Marcos Roberto
Published: January 2020

Background: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a safe and effective minimally invasive treatment for primary or secondary malignancies of the lung. This study aims to describe imaging features on chest computed tomography (CT) after RFA of primary and secondary lung tumors, and their frequency over the time after the procedure.Methods: In this double-center retrospective study, we reviewed 69 patients with primary and secondary lung tumors who underwent percutaneous RFA. Patients were excluded if they had received concomitant radiation therapy or chemotherapy, and if there was no CT follow-up. The imaging features were assessed in four different time points: immediate post-procedure, <4 weeks, 5-24 weeks, 25-52 weeks and >52 weeks. Late follow-up (3 and 5 years after procedure) was assessed clinically in 48 patients.Results: The study population consisted of 69 patients and 144 pulmonary tumors. Six out of 69 (8.7%) patients had primary lung nodules (stage I) and 63/69 (91.3%) had metastatic pulmonary nodules. Based on per patient analysis, immediately after lung RFA, the most common CT features were consolidation (56/69, 81.1%), reversed halo (55/69, 79.7%), and hyperdensity (47/69, 68.1%). Less than 4 weeks, reversed halo was demonstrated in 19/22 (86.3%) patients, and consolidation and pleural thickening in 17/22 (77.2%). Between 5-24 weeks, 25-52 weeks and after 52 weeks, the most common imaging features were parenchymal bands. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated the expected CT features after lung RFA, a procedure which use has been progressively growing. Diagnostic and interventional radiologists should be familiar with the expected imaging features immediately after RFA and their change during follow-up in order to avoid misinterpretation and inadequate treatments.
Sennoside A induces GLP-1 secretion through activation of the ERK1/2 pathway in L-cells
Authors: Ma Li , Cao Xinyu , Ye Xiaotong , Ye Jianping , Sun Yongning
Published: January 2020

Background Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is secreted from the intestinal L-cells to stimulate insulin secretion in the control of blood glucose. Sennoside A (SA), derived from Rhubarb extract of traditional Chinese medicine, is often used to treat constipation and lose weight. Our previous study suggests that SA can increase the plasma GLP-1 level in a mouse model of type 2 diabetes. However, the mechanism of SA activity remains unknown. This issue was addressed in this study. Methods C57bl/6 mice were divided randomly into four groups at n = 12. Group one was used as a control group without drug treatment. The other three groups were treated with (SA) at three dosages: a low dose (15 mg/kg/day), medium dose (30mg/kg/day) or high dose (45 mg/kg/day). SA was delivered into the mice through drinking water. Bodyweight was monitored. After treatment, blood glucose was assayed by OGTT. Plasma GLP-1 and insulin were determined at 15 mins of oral glucose challenge. Colon tissues were collected for mRNA or western blot analysis. Immunofluorescence staining assays was used to evaluate the number of β-cells and L-cells. NCI-H716 cells were employed to investigate the mechanism of SA-induced GLP-1 secretion, and the cells were subjected to western blot analysis. In the study of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) pathway, NCI-H716 cells were pretreated with ERK1/2 inhibitors (PD98059, 50 μM) for 30 min in the presence of SA (100 μM). Results In the current study, SA can reduce body weight during 5 weeks of weight monitoring and improve OGTT in C57BL/6 mice on the Chow diet. Furthermore, plasma GLP-1 was significantly elevated in the mouse treated by SA at the dosage of 45 mg/kg/day. The SA activity was supported by improving glucose-induced insulin secretion. Meanwhile, increased expression of EKR1/2 and prohormone convertase 1/3 (PC1/3) proteins was observed in the large intestine of SA-treated mice. The number of L-cells was not altered in each group. In the NCI-H716 cells, GLP-1 secretion was induced by SA with activation of the ERK1/2 pathway and elevation of PC1/3 protein. The SA effect was blocked by the ERK1/2 inhibitor. These data suggest that SA induced GLP-1 secretion in L-cells through activation of the ERK1/2 pathway in the mouse intestine. Conclusion Our study provides direct evidence that SA interacts with L cells for GLP-1 secretion. The data suggest that the SA effect is dependent on the ERK1/2 signaling pathway. Therefore, SA is a new drug candidate for the treatment of type 2 diabetes by induction of GLP-1 secretion.
Goal-directed dehydration therapy in sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome guided by volumetric hemodynamic monitoring
Authors: Khromacheva N. O. , Fot E. V. , Kuzkov V. V. , Kirov M. Yu.
Published: January 2020

The aim of our study was to improve results of treatment of critically ill patients with sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) using the goal-directed dehydration therapy (DT).Sixty adult patients with sepsis and ARDS receiving mechanical ventilation for at least 24 hours were enrolled into a prospective randomized study. The patients were randomized into groups of dehydration guided either by extravascular (group of extravascular lung water index ‒ EVLWI,n= 30) or intravascular (group of global end-diastolic volume index ‒ GEDVI,n= 30) compartment. Dehydration was performed over 48 hours by administering diuretics or controlled extracorporeal ultrafiltration. We measured ventilation parameters, blood gases, and parameters of volumetric monitoring. The baseline characteristics of the patients did not differ between the groups. By 48 hours, the target fluid balance was achieved in both groups. In the EVLWI group at 48 hours, we found reduction of EVLWI by 15.4% (p< 0.001) and increase in PaO2/FiO2by 23.3% as compared with baseline (p< 0.001). In parallel, we observed decrease in creatinine and urea (p< 0.05). In the GEDVI group, PaO2/FiO2 rose by 12.5% (p = 0.021), whereas EVLWI remained unchanged (p= 0.4). Maximal decrease in EVLWI and improvement of PaO2/FiO2 were achieved in direct ARDS.Thus, in patients with sepsis and ARDS the de-escalation goal-directed therapy resulted in the improvement of arterial oxygenation and organ function. The efficacy of dehydration was increased in direct ARDS. The extravascular compartment dehydration algorithm attenuated pulmonary edema and acute kidney injury more efficiently. Therefore, sepsis-induced ARDS may require personalized therapeutic approach.
Internet of Things Application in Satellite Communication in Power Transmission, Transform and Distribution
Authors: Chuang Dong
Published: January 2020

In the national grid enterprise system, the geographical environment of transmission, substation lines and equipment distribution is very complicated. Transmission lines and substation equipment built in complex environments such as plateaus, forests, canyons and borders are often subjected to earthquakes, floods and blizzards. The threat of mudslide disasters, the ground communication network is greatly affected by extreme natural disasters, and it is impossible to repair and rescue in time when disasters occur. In response to the needs of facility operation and maintenance under emergency anomalies, Tiantong No. 1 satellite is a communication satellite with independent intellectual property rights in China. It has functions such as voice communication, image transmission, positioning, and data reporting. It can set up satellite Internet of Things to realize real-time monitoring and equipment. Conveniences such as inspections and emergency rescues reduce the operation and maintenance costs of the power transmission and transformation process.
Improved Stereo Vision Robot Locating and Mapping Method
Authors: Haige Yu , Fan Yu , Yanxi Wei
Published: January 2020

Vision-based SLAM has an outstanding problem is not work when the camera fast motion, or camera operating environment characterized by scarce. Aiming at this problem, this paper proposes a SLAM method of IMU and vision fusion. This article uses a stereo camera to extract the image ORB feature points. During the camera movement, if the number of extracted feature points is less than a certain threshold and the camera movement cannot be estimated or the estimated camera rotation and translation is greater than a certain threshold, the camera pose is estimated by fusing IMU, Otherwise use feature points to estimate camera pose. This paper uses non-linear optimization methods to perform pose estimation of pure feature points and pose estimation of fused IMU, respectively. The experimental results show that binocular vision SLAM with IMU information can estimate the camera pose more accurately.
A Study on the Sinter Brazing Joint of Powder Metal Components
Authors: Tripathi Pujan , Yang George
Published: January 2020

The research focuses on the development of a new joint method, the sinter brazing of powder metal components. Various kinds of powder metallurgy composition were tested in the sinter brazing joint, mainly to study the operating conditions, strength of the joint. Although each of these processes brings about different results in metal, all of them involve three basic steps: heating, soaking, and cooling. Heat treatment such as heating, soaking, cooling, hardening, tampering has been investigated.
The Power of Stakeholders in the Management Compliance with Environmental Responsibility Issues in Indonesia
Authors: Juniarti Juniarti , Karina Cynthia , Lisa Lisa , Tjahjono Amelia Cicilia
Published: January 2020

The objectives of this research were to find which the dominant stakeholders that pushed management to comply with the environmental responsibility and to examine the effect of environmental performance on financial performance. This research adopted Ullman’s three-dimensional framework to explain the stakeholders’ power. Stakeholders’ power was proxied by the power of shareholders, government, and customers. Then, PROPER rating measured the environmental performance. All Indonesian listed companies in all industrial sectors incorporating in the PROPER program were selected as the research sample. It resulted in 462 observations in the period of 2002-2017. PROPER was a company performance assessment program in environmental management. The Indonesian government initiated it through the Ministry of Environment and Forestry. This research also included various control variables (firm size, firm age, level of competitiveness, and leverage). Ordinary Least Square (OLS) was used to analyze data. The results show that the government’s power and customer’s power consistently influences the managers to comply with environmental issues. Meanwhile, the powers of the shareholder do not influence it. In the case of financial performance, the result supports the prior researchers that the higher rates of environmental performance are, the higher the powers of shareholders and customers will significantly be improved.
Political Participation of Getasan Community in Semarang Regency Elections in 2015
Authors: Mediatati Nani , Nababan Kristina Roseven
Published: January 2020

This research aimed to describe the form and the level of political participation of the Getasan district community in the election of Semarang Regency in 2015. Data collection techniques were through interviews, observations, and document studies. Sample research amounted to 182 respondents that were taken from 13 villages in the district of Getasan, and each village was taken 14 respondents. While secondary data of literature studies and studies of documents were both derived from the contestants, the general election commission district, the mass media, and other relevant sources. There were two candidates for the regent and vice-regent period 2015-2020; they were Mundjirin with Ngesti Nugraha that supported by three political parties, and the second, Nur Jatmiko with Mas’ud Ridwan that supported by four political parties. The results show that the form of political participation in the community of Getasan in the election year 2015 can be listed into nine activities, such as participation in one of the political parties, the committee of elections, socialization the candidate, campaign, become a victory team participated in the procurement of polling stations, participated in the voting, participated in the security voting in polling stations, and participated in the process calculation of the vote.
Incorporating Youtube Clips in the Classroom to Develop Students’ Cultural Understanding of American Culture
Authors: Maryani Maryani , Aguskin Lewinna
Published: January 2020

This research investigated the use of YouTube video clips to develop the understanding of culture for students in American Culture class in a private university in Bandung. It sought to answer two research problems; first, students’ perceptions towards the use of YouTube video clips to develop their understanding of American culture; second, to what extent watching YouTube video clips supported the students’ understanding of American culture. The participants of this research were 61 undergraduate students of the English Department aged between 18-21 years. There were two types of data collection used in the research. First, data were taken from the weekly learning logs of the students containing three to five questions and one or two YouTube video clips, which were related to the topics of the textbook in the classroom. Second, the data from the open-ended questionnaire which were distributed to the students at the end of the semester. The qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings show that the students’ understanding of American culture has improved due to watching YouTube video clips that contain authentic cultural information from American life events and news shown in the clips. This research also provides useful information for teachers in teaching culture for a better learning process, which focuses on the use of YouTube video clips in the classroom.
Cinematic Representation of Chinese-Indonesians’ Trauma in Jason Iskandar The Day The Sky Roared
Authors: Sutandio Anton
Published: January 2020

This research analyzed a contemporary independent Indonesian film entitled The Day the Sky Roared (2015) that was directed by Jason Iskandar. This 10-minute silent film talked about the anxiety of Chinese-Indonesians through the eyes of a mother and her daughter regarding the historical trauma of the May 1998 tragedy. The fact that the film was produced about 17 years after the tragedy suggested the director’s awareness that the trauma remained due to the absence of reconciliation and closure. This research would show how the short film frames the incident and trauma of the Chinese-Indonesians. The research was a combination of trauma studies and film studies that focuses on the visual analysis of the film’s cinematography and mise-en-scene to show the cinematic representation of Chinese-Indonesians’ trauma. The findings show that the portrayal of Chinese-Indonesians still strongly suggests unrelieved psychological discomfort, albeit, at different levels, that is closely related to the traumatic past and the pervasive stereotyping of Chinese-Indonesians.
Rhetorical Strategy and Linguistics Features in E-Petition Through Change.org
Authors: Fatkhiyati Nurrahma Restia , Suharno Suharno
Published: January 2020

The research explored what types and how rhetorical strategy correlated with the linguistics features in e-petitions through Change.org entitled “KPK dalam Bahaya”. The data were e-petitions collected through Change.org. The analysis was holistically descriptive and included in qualitative research. The approach used critical discourse analysis by Fairclough that was using Fairclough’s three-dimensional framework and the strategy of rhetoric by Aristotle. Those theories helped the researcher to find out how the rhetorical strategy and the linguistics features created persuasive meaning. The findings indicate that euphemism, metaphor, connectives, logical connectors, rhetorical questions, and modality support the rhetoric strategy constructing the meaning beyond the words. Through one of the rhetoric strategies, pathos persuades the readers to agree to the argument and sign the e-petitions. Due to the emotional appeals, all of these language instruments help the rhetoric to provoke the readers significantly.
Glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis: pathogenesis and prevention
Authors: Krasivina I. G. , Dolgova L. N. , Dolgov N. V. , Larina A. A.
Published: January 2020

Osteoporosis (OP) along with myocardial infarction, oncological diseases and expected death takes the lead in the general morbidity and mortality profile of population. The indicators of primary and general incidence of OP are markedly different in the regions of Russia according to the Healthcare Monitoring, Analysis and Strategic Development Department of the Central Research Institute of Organization and Informatization of Healthcare of the Ministry of Health of Russia and according to the data of epidemiological studies. Osteoporosis is classified as primary, if it develops in postmenopausal women or in older men in the absence of any underlying predisposing disease, and as secondary if there is a pathogenetic relationship with the disease or drug intake. The glucocorticoidinduced osteoporosis, which is distinguished in the International Classification System of Diseases and Death Causes (X revision) under code M 81.4 - drug-induced osteoporosis is the most common form of secondary osteoporosis. The topic of glucocorticoidinduced OP affects the professional fields of a significant number of medical specialties in connection with the common use of glucocorticosteroids in medicine. This article presents the issues of epidemiology, pathogenesis, complications of glucocorticoid-induced OP. Particular attention is paid to the prevention of this disease, including such non-pharmacological methods as a balanced diet, body weight gain to the recommended values, smoking cessation, regular exercise against weightlifting and resistance, protection against falls. Drug prophylaxis of glucocorticoid-induced OP is focused on the rational treatment to target of the underlying disease and the use of complex drugs containing vitamin D, calcium and synergistic osteotropic micronutrients.
Improvement of surgical treatment in diffuze adenomyosis (a review)
Authors: Gorpenko A. A. , Chuprinin V. D. , Buralkin N. A. , Safronova A. S.
Published: January 2020

Introduction. Adenomyosis has a significantly negative impact on women’s quality of life, causing abnormal uterine bleeding, dysmenorrhea, and chronic pelvic pain and low quality of life. There are no single theory of pathogenesis, unique prognosis and diagnostic markers for adenomyosis. The definitive treatment for adenomyosis is hysterectomy but is not appropriate for patients who wish to preserve their fertility. In this article presents data about etiology, classification, pathogenesis, clinical manifestation and surgical techniques for the treatment of adenomyosis published in medical–scientific databases.

Materials and methods. The review includes data from foreign and Russian articles published in the Pubmed journals on this topic.

Results. There are a lot of surgical approaches for adenomyosis; however, there is no any universal approach and management guideline for these patients.

Conclusion. Adenomyosis – if multifactorial disease. There is no single pathogenesis theory. The clinical picture of adenomyosis varies from asymptomatic to severe pain. The management of adenomyosis is complex and should guide personally for each patient. All techniques and options should be considered and discussed with the patient.