bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Short-Term Effects of Ambient air Pollution on Pediatric Hospital Visits for Respiratory Diseases in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Authors: Ouédraogo Abdoul Risgou , Ouedraogo Jean Claude Romaric Pingdwinde , Ouoba Serge , Ozoh Obianju B. , Traoré Abdoul Narcisse , Sourabié Adama , Boncoungou kadiatou , Ouédraogo Georges , Badoum Gisèle , OUEDRAOGO Martial
Published: September 2021

Background: The adverse effects of air pollution on respiratory health has been documented in high-income countries, but data are scarce from low-income countries. We reported on air quality in Ouagadougou and its effects on hospital visits for respiratory diseases among children.Methods: It was a retrospective hospital-based ecological study. All children admitted from 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020 at two major teaching hospitals in Burkina Faso were included. We conducted a binary logistic regression to determine the health effects of PM2.5 and PM10 on hospital visits for respiratory diseases, with adjustment for covariates (weather, sociodemographic factors and medical history). Results: Hospital visits for respiratory diseases accounted for 14.16% of all visits. Children were males in the majority (54.57%) and aged between 29 days-30 months (74.85%). PM10 was at WHO recommended levels, ranging from 0.06 μg/m³ to 18.33 μg/m³. PM2.5 concentration ranged from 0.41 to 258.82 μg/m³, above the WHO standards. Rise in PM2.5 concentration was associated with slightly more outpatients than inpatients (ORc=0.996 95% CI: 0.993-0.998; p=0.003). The weather confounded this relationship, but the sociodemographic factors and medical history did not. The increase in PM10 was not significantly associated with hospital visits for respiratory diseases (ORc=0.997 95% CI: 0.977-1.018; p=0.802). Adjusting the PM effects for all covariates, higher PM2.5 and relative humidity levels and the female sex were associated with more outpatient cases than inpatients. Underlying conditions (severe acute malnutrition, sickle cell disease and heart disease) favoured more inpatients than outpatients. Conclusion: At harmful levels in Ouagadougou, PM2.5 caused primarily outpatient hospital visits rather than hospitalisations for respiratory diseases.
Neurohumoral Markers of Cardiac Autonomic Denervation After Surgical Ablation of Long- Standing Persistent Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Evtushenko Alexey , Evtushenko Vladimir , Gusakova Anna , Suslova Tatiana , Varlamova Yulia , Zavadovskiy Konstantin , Lebedev Denis , Pavlyukova Elena , Mamchur Sergey
Published: September 2021

Background. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) plays an important role in modulation of cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmogenesis. Disorders of the ANS components can be a prognostic factor of an unfavorable course of cardiovascular diseases. The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between efficacy of radiofrequency (RF) surgical ablation of long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) and neurohumoral transmitter levels as well as correlation between these data with myocardial iodine-123-metaiodobenzylguanidine (123I-MIBG) uptake.Methods. Two groups of patients with acquired valvular heart disease were compared: patients with surgical AF ablation and patients with sinus rhythm.Results. The decrease of norepinephrine (NE) level in coronary sinus has a direct association with the heart-to-mediastinum ratio (p=0.02) and negative correlation with 123I-MIBG uptake defect (p=0.01). NE level decreased significantly after the main stage of surgery, both in patients with AF (p=0.0098) and sinus rhythm (p=0.0039). Furthermore, the significance (p=0.001) of the aortic root and coronary sinus gradient of NE level 0.405 pg/mL was determined as a cut-off value for efficacy evaluation of the RF denervation.Conclusion. The practical significance of the obtained results lies in the possibility of using the technique to predict the efficacy of the ‘Maze-IV’ procedure, which will allow assessing the risk of AF recurrence after ablation.
Incorporation of Engineered Nanoparticles of Biochar and Fly Ash Against Bacterial Leaf Spot of Pepper
Authors: Ali Muhammad Danish , Aftab Zill-e-Huma , Akhter Adnan , Majid Farzana , Siddiqui Iffat , Aftab Arusa , Aslam Waqar , Aftab Muzammil
Published: September 2021

In agriculture, the search for higher net profit is the main challenge in the economy of the producers and nano biochar attracts increasing interest in recent years due to its unique environmental behaviour and increasing the productivity of plants by inducing resistance against phyto-pathogens. The effect of rice straw biochar and fly ash nanoparticles (RSBNPs and FNPs, respectively) in combination with compost soil on bacterial leaf spot of pepper caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria was investigated both in vitro and in vivo. The application of nanoparticles as soil amendment significantly improved the chili pepper plant growth. However, RSBNPs were more effective in enhancing the above and belowground plant biomass production. Moreover, both RSBNPs and FNPs, significantly reduced (30.5 and 22.5 %, respectively), while RSBNPs had shown in vitro growth inhibition of X. campestris pv. vesicatoria by more than 50%. The X-ray diffractometry of RSBNPs and FNPs highlighted the unique composition of nano forms which possibly contributed in enhancing the plant defence against invading X. campestris pv. vesicatoria. On the basis of our findings, it is suggested that biochar and fly ash nanoparticles can be used for reclaiming the problem soil and enhance the crop productivity depending upon the nature of soil and the pathosystem under investigation.
Predictive Value of Lymphocyte to Monocyte Count Ratio on Complete Occlusion of Infarct-Related Arteries in Patients with Non-ST Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Zhao Shenghui , Chen Yunfan , Chu Yingjie
Published: September 2021

Background
Lymphocytes and monocytes are important inflammatory cells in the body, which are involved in the whole process of the formation, progression and rupture of coronary atherosclerotic plaque. The purpose of this study was to explore the predictive value of Lymphocytes to monocytes count rate (LMR) for complete occlusion of infarct-related vessels in NSTEMI patients.
Methods
General information and laboratory examination data of patients with acute myocardial infarction in Henan Provincial People's Hospital from November 2020 to July 2021 were analysed.
Results
We evaluated 103 patients, of which 86 were males and 17 were females. There were 55 cases in complete occlusion group (CO) and 48 cases in incomplete occlusion group (IO). The shock index of CO group was significantly higher than that of IO group (0.6658 ± 0.15199 vs 0.6055 ± 0.12647, t = 2.17, P = 0.032). The APTT and LMR in CO group were significantly lower than those in IO group (28.744 ± 2.912 VS 31.072 ± 6.199, t = 2.383, p = 0.020; 3.475 ± 1.211 VS 4.634 ± 1.588, t = 4.12, p < 0.001, respectively). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that LMR and APTT were independent risk factors for incomplete occlusion of infarct-related vessels in NSTEMI patients (LMR OR = 1.833, 95%CI: 1.318–2.550,P < 001; APTT OR = 1.155, 95%CI: 1.018–1.309,p = 0.025 ). ROC curve was used to evaluate the predictive value of LMR for incomplete occlusion of infarct-related vessels in NSTEMI patients (AUC = 0.708, 95%CI: 0.608–0.807, P < 0.001), the positive predictive value was 79.3%, the negative predictive value was 66.2%, and the accuracy was 70.0%.
Conclusions
LMR has certain value in predicting whether the infarct-related vessels in NSTEMI patients are completely occluded. High LMR is an independent predictor of incomplete occlusion of infarct related vessels in NSTEMI patients. Therefore, LMR may be used in the emergency department for preoperative risk stratification of NSTEMI patients in the future.
Azospirillum Brasilense And Zinc Rates Affecting Fungal Root Colonization and Yield of Cereal Crops in Succession Under Brazilian Cerrado Conditions
Authors: Silva Philippe Solano Toledo , Cassiolato Ana Maria Rodrigues , Galindo Fernando Shintate , Jalal Arshad , Nogueira Thiago Assis Rodrigues , Filho Marcelo Carvalho Minhoto Teixeira
Published: September 2021

Soil and plant beneficial microbes capitalize plant nutrition through successful colonization in roots rhizosphere which could sustainably increase cereal production. Zinc (Zn) is intensively reported a deficient nutrient for maize and wheat production in Brazilian Cerrado, which could be sustainably managed by beneficial microorganisms and their symbiotic association with other microorganisms like arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and dark septate endophytes (DSE). The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of Azospirillum brasilense inoculation and residual Zn rates on root colonization and grain yield of maize and wheat in succession under Brazilian Cerrado conditions. These experiments were conducted in a randomized block design with four replications and arranged in a 5x2 factorial scheme. The treatments were consisted of five Zn rates (0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 kg ha-1) applied from zinc sulfate in maize and residual on wheat, and without and with seed inoculation of A. brasilense. Both crops were evaluated for root colonization of AMF and DSE, number of spores of AMF, quantification of CO2-C and grain yield. Colonization by AMF and DSE were significantly increased with interaction of Zn rates and inoculation treatments. The inoculation of A. brasilense favored root AMF and DSE colonization while increasing Zn rates by 4 kg ha-1 for maize and while 2 and 4 kg ha-1 Zn in residual for wheat reduced these colonizations. The inoculation did not influence spore production and CO2-C in both crops while maize-wheat yield were increased with Zn rates up to 4 kg ha-1 in edaphoclimatic condition of Brazilian Cerrado.
DALU-Net: Automated Liver Segmentation and Volumetry for Liver Transplantation in Abdominal Computed Tomography Volumes
Authors: Jeong Jin Gyo , Choi Sangtae , Kim Young Jae , Lee Won-Suk , Kim Kwang Gi
Published: September 2021

Liver transplantation is performed in patients with liver disease, using the liver of a braindead or living donor. In living-donor liver transplantation, the safety of the donor is critical. In addition, the amount that can be resected from the living donor is limited. It is important that accurately measuring the liver volume to avoid graft size mismatch. In this paper, we designed a deep attention convolutional long short-term memory (CLSTM) network architecture for liver segmentation that combines an attention mechanism, deep supervision, and CLSTM. The proposed model can focus on the liver in abdominal CT volume data and can learn inter-slice using CLSTM. Our framework was trained using 133 training cases, 29 validation cases, and 29 test cases of liver donors. We compared livers and volumes manually labeled by a liver transplant surgeon and those obtained by automatic segmentation of livers and volumes. We further evaluated the segmentation and volumetry of the left lobe, right lobe, and caudate lobe, according to the anatomical structure of the liver. Our approach significantly outperformed the 3D U-Net in terms of accuracy. Our approach can be used as an aid in estimating liver volume from CT volume data for living-donor liver transplantation.
Comparison of Immune Response To Human Rhinovirus C And Respiratory Syncytial Virus In Highly Differentiated Human Airway Epithelial Cells
Authors: Yuan Xinhui , Pang Li-li , Yang Jing , Jin Yu
Published: September 2021

Background: Human rhinovirus C (HRV-C) accounts for a large proportion of HRV-related illnesses, but the immune response to HRV-C infection has not been elucidated. Our objective was to assess the effect of HRV-C on cytokine secretion in human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells grown at air–liquid interface (ALI) and compare it with that of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Methods: HBE cells were differentiated at ALI culture and the full-length cDNA clones of HRV-C651 and HRV-C15, clinical isolates of HRV-C79 and HRV-C101, and two RSV isolates were inoculated in the HBE cells. The effect of HRV-C on cytokine secretion were assessed and compared with that of RSV.Results: HRV-Cs infects and propagates in fully differentiated HBE cells and significantly increased the secretion of IFN-λ1, CCL5, IP10, IL-6, IL-8, and MCP-1. The virus load positively correlated with the levels of the cytokines. HRV-C induced lower secretion of CCL5 (P=0.048), IL-6 (P=0.016), MCP-1 (P=0.008), and IL-8 (P=0.032), and similar secretion of IP10 (P=0.214) and IFN-λ1 (P=0.214) when compared with RSV. Conclusion: HBE ALI culture system supported HRV-C infection and propagation and HRV-C induced relatively weaker cytokine expression than RSV.
An Accurate Mathematical Epidemiological Model (SEQIJRDS) to Recommend Public Health Interventions Related to COVID-19 in Sri Lanka.
Authors: Wijesekara Patikiri Arachchige Don Shehan Nilmantha
Published: September 2021

COVID-19 has been causing negative impacts on various sectors in Sri Lanka as a result of the public health interventions that government had to implement in order to reduce the spreading of the disease. Equivalent work carried out in this context is outdated and close to ideal models. This research is carried out in a crucial time which the daily deaths are rapidly increasing which arise the requirement for an accurate and practical model to predict the mortality in order to take decisions regarding public health interventions. This paper presents a mathematical epidemiological model called SEQIJRDS to predict on COVID-19. The model has been validated for the COVID 19 pandemic in Sri Lanka. The results show that the model outstands many of the state-of-the-art SEIR epidemiological models such as Imperial, IHME once properly parameterized. At the end; this work recommends public health interventions at this crucial time to save people's lives based on the predictions of the proposed model. Specifically, 3 recommendations called minimal, sub-optimal and optimal recommendations are provided for public health interventions.
Effects of Soil Amendment with Chinese Herbal Medicine on Cassava Growth and Rhizosphere Microbial Diversity
Authors: wu jinshan , zhang yijie , ha jingwen , tan longyan , wang honggang , jia yingxue , wang ruoyan , chen Yinhua
Published: September 2021

This study aimed to determine the effects of different dosages of Chinese herbal compound soil amendment on cassava growth and rhizosphere microbial diversity. In this study, Cassava SC8 growth was determined under four treatments. The growth was promoted by the application of the Chinese herbal compound soil amendment powder and agent. After 240 days of treatment, we measure its height, diameter of the stem, maximum perimeter of cassava, tuber number, weight of single tuber, yield per hectare, the mineral elements in cassava, the ash content in starch and the microbial diversity in the soil. Compared with the control group, the height, diameter of the stem, maximum perimeter of cassava, tuber number, the weight of a single tuber, yield per hectare in the treatment groups all show increase, and the application of 1200 kg of Chinese herbal compound soil amendment per hm2 (T2) had the strongest positive effect on the cassava growth. As for the water content of tubers, that of T2 decreased by 5.96% compared with T4, while no substantial difference among other groups. The Fe content in T2 decreased by 29.46%, and Zn in T3 increased by 39.48%, while the content of other metal ions in four treatments showed no substantial difference. At the same time, the experiment also found that, as bacterial abundance in soil, Streptophyta dominated in T2, and Fimbriimonas is a unique genera of T2. In addition, the abundances of Nocardioides and unclassfied_Spartobacteria in the T2 were greatly considerable than other treatment groups. As fungal abundance in soil, after treated with different concentrations, the composition of soil fungi differed greatly among the groups, and the samples at different concentrations contained more than 20 species of unique bacteria. At the genus level, compared with the control group, the relative abundance of unclassfied_Chaetomiaceae in the treatment group was considerably reduced, and the relative abundance of Psathyrella in the T1 increase substantially. We speculates that these advantages and the existence of bacteria and fungi can affect rhizosphere soil microorganisms, further improve soil effective nutrients and enzyme activities, thereby affecting the growth and physiological indicators of cassava plants.
Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Towards Kangaroo Mother Care Among Postnatal Women in Ethiopia: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Author
Authors: Gebeyehu Natnael Atnafu , Gelaw Kelemu Abebe , Azeze Gedion Asnake , Admass Biruk Adie , Lake Eyasu Alem , Adela Getachew Asmare
Published: September 2021

Background: Kangaroo mother care could be a key procedure to decrease neonatal mortality and morbidity of preterm and low-birth-weight neonates. However, in Ethiopia, preterm birth and low-birth-weight neonatal death still exist. This study aimed to determine the pooled prevalence of knowledge, Attitude, and practice of kangaroo mother care among postnatal women in Ethiopia.Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, EMBASE, manual search, and Ethiopian University online library were searched. The data were extracted by using Microsoft excel and analyzed by STATA version 11 statistical software. The Publication bias was checked by funnel and more objectively through Egger's test and Begg’s test with P < 0.05 considered being a potential publication for bias. I2 was used to check for the presence of heterogeneity of the studies. Overall estimated analysis was done. Subgroup analysis was done by region, study setting, publications, gestational age, birth weight, and the component of kangaroo care. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to see the effect of a single study on the pooled estimation.Results: A total of 5 studies with 1,232 respondents for knowledge, five studies with 1,232 respondents for attitude, and 16 studies with 12,475 respondents for practice were used to estimate the pooled level of good knowledge, positive attitude, and poor practice of kangaroo mother care among postnatal women. The pooled estimate of good knowledge, positive attitude and poor practice of kangaroo mother care was found to be 64.62% (95% CI: 47.15%-82.09%; I2 = 97.8%), 61.55 % (49.73-73.38%; I2 =94.8%) and 45.7% (95%CI: 37.297-54.092%; I2 = 98.5%) respectively.Conclusion: Findings showed significant gaps in kangaroo mother care-related knowledge, attitude, and practice compared with reported results of developed countries of the demographic health survey. Therefore, it is better to have periodic training and counseling on kangaroo mother care for postnatal women.
Erythropoietin as a Potential Prognostic Biomarker Correlated With Immune Infiltration in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Zhu Huange , Zhang Yanping , Yin Jiafeng , Lu Jie , Liu Hailong , Zhang Ting , Geng Yan
Published: September 2021

Background. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumor with poor prognosis. Immune checkpoint genes are considered novel tumor immunotherapy targets for many cancer types. Erythropoietin (EPO) is a protein secreted mainly in the liver and kidneys; in several cancer types, EPO expression stimulates tumor growth and corelates with patient survival. The study aimed to identify EPO as a prognostic biomarker correlated with immune infiltration in HCC. Methods. We investigated the correlation between EPO expression and HCC patient clinical characteristics using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas. The relationship between EPO expression and HCC patient survival was investigated using Kaplan–Meier analysis. We also used R (v.3.6.3) to analyze the correlation between EPO expression and immune infiltration in HCC. Results. We found that EPO expression was downregulated in HCC. Notably, EPO was upregulated in advanced-stage HCC and had a diagnostic value of 0.83 (p < 0.001) in HCC diagnosis. HCC patients with increased EPO expression had poor prognoses. Furthermore, altered EPO expression was associated with immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoint gene expression in HCC. Conclusions. EPO expression was positively correlated with hepatocellular carcinoma stage, and negatively correlated with patient prognosis, with influening HCC immune cell infiltration and checkpoint gene expression. EPO can be as both a potential prognostic biomarker and a novel potential treatment target for HCC.Our work is not a clinical trial, but preclinical basic study.
Potential of a Fucoidan-Rich Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract to Reduce Salmonella Shedding and Improve Gastrointestinal Health in Weaned Pigs Naturally Infected with Salmonella
Authors: Venardou Brigkita , O’Doherty John V. , Maher Shane , Ryan Marion T. , Gath Vivian , Ravindran Rajeev , Kiely Claire , Rajauria Gaurav , Garcia-Vaquero Marco , Sweeney Torres
Published: September 2021

Background

Dietary supplementation with a fucoidan-rich Ascophyllum nodosum extract (ANE), possessing an in vitro anti-Salmonella Typhimurium activity could be a promising on-farm strategy to control Salmonella infection in pigs. The objectives of this study were to: 1) evaluate the anti-S. Typhimurium activity of ANE (≈ 47% fucoidan) in vitro, and; 2) compare the effects of dietary supplementation with ANE and zinc oxide (ZnO) on growth performance, Salmonella shedding and selected gut parameters in naturally infected pigs. This was established post-weaning (newly weaned pig experiment) and following regrouping of post-weaned pigs and experimental re-infection with S. Typhimurium (challenge experiment).
Results

In the in vitro assay, increasing ANE concentrations led to a linear reduction in S. Typhimurium counts (P < 0.05). In the newly weaned pig experiment (12 replicates/treatment), high ANE supplementation increased growth to feed ratio, similar to ZnO supplementation, and reduced faecal Salmonella counts on day 21 compared to the low ANE and control groups (P < 0.05). The challenge experiment included thirty-six pigs from the previous experiment that remained on their original dietary treatments (control and high ANE groups with the latter being renamed to ANE group) apart from the ZnO group which transitioned onto a control diet on day 21 (ZnO-residual group). These dietary treatments had no effect on performance, faecal scores, Salmonella shedding or colonic and caecal Salmonella counts (P > 0.05). ANE supplementation decreased the Enterobacteriaceae counts compared to the control. Enterobacteriaceae counts were also reduced in the ZnO-residual group compared to the control (P < 0.05). ANE supplementation decreased the expression of interleukin 22 and transforming growth factor beta 1 in the ileum compared to the control (P < 0.05).
Conclusions

ANE supplementation promoted a healthier composition in the colonic microbiota, reduced Salmonella shedding, and the expression of inflammatory genes associated with persistent Salmonella infection.
Annexin A2 Promotes Angiogenesis After Ischemic Stroke Via Annexin A2 Receptor - AKT/ERK Pathways
Authors: Li Wenlu , Lin Haoran , Shen Zexu , Bei Yun , Wei Taofeng , Yu Zhanyang , Dai Yunjian , Dai Haibin
Published: September 2021

Promoting angiogenesis to restore circulation to the ischemic tissue is still an important therapeutic target in stroke. Here, we ask whether the Ca2+-regulated, phospholipid-and membrane-binding protein-Annexin A2 (ANXA2) may regulate angiogenesis after stroke.Compared with wild type (WT) mice, the density of microvessels in brain and the number of new vessels sprouting from aortic ring were significantly increased in Anxa2 knock-in (ANXA2+/+) mice. After focal cerebral ischemia, proliferation of brain endothelial cells in ANXA2+/+ mice was significantly elevated at 7 days post-stroke, which further improved behavioral recovery. To assess the pro-angiogenic mechanisms of ANXA2, we used brain endothelial cells cultures to investigate its effects on cell tube-formation and migration. Recombinant ANXA2 increased tube-formation and migration of brain endothelial cells either under normal condition or after OGD injury. These protective effects of recombinant ANXA2 were regulated by interaction with ANXA2 receptor (A2R), and the ability of ANXA2-A2R to activate AKT/ERK pathways. Taken together, our study indicates that ANXA2 might be involved in angiogenesis after ischemic stroke. Further investigation of ANXA2-A2R will provide a new therapeutic target for stroke.
Relationship Between Fasting and Postprandial Glucose Levels and the Gut Microbiota
Authors: Mineshita Yui , Sasaki Hiroyuki , Kim Hyeon-ki , Shibata Shigenobu
Published: September 2021

Postprandial hyperglycemia increases the risk of mortality among patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, the gut microbiota and type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease are known to be correlated. Currently, fasting blood glucose is the primary index for the clinical diagnosis of diabetes; however, postprandial blood glucose is associated with the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease and mortality. Therefore, the dynamic change in blood glucose levels under free-living conditions is considered an important and better marker than fasting glucose levels, to study the relationship between glucose levels and microbiota. Here, we investigated the relationship between fasting and postprandial glucose levels and microbiota under free-living conditions, for one week in the older adults. The results revealed a significant correlation between peak glucose levels after dinner and the gut bacteria, particularly, Bacteroides, Clostridiales Clostridiaceae group, Anaerostipes, Clostridiales [Mogibacteriaceae] group, Holdemania, and Bilophila. Together, these findings suggest that the glucose levels after dinner are a better predictor of microbiota conditions than fasting glucose levels.
Dietary calcium requirements of broilers fed a conventional corn-soybean meal diet from 1 to 21 d of age
Authors: Bai Shingping , Yang Yunfeng , Ma Xuelian , Liao Xiudong , Wang Runlian , Zhang Liyang , Li Sufen , Luo Xugang , Lu Lin
Published: September 2021

Background

The current calcium (Ca) recommendation for broilers is primarily based on studies conducted more than 30 years ago with birds of markedly different productive potentials from those which exist today. And the response indicators in these studies are mainly growth performance and bone ash percentage. Therefore, the present study was carried out to investigate the effect of dietary Ca level on growth performance, serum parameters, bone characteristics and Ca metabolism-related gene expressions, so as to estimate dietary Ca requirements of broilers fed a conventional corn-soybean meal diet from 1 to 21 d of age.
Methods

A total of 420 1-day-old Arbor Acres male broilers were randomly assigned to 1 of 7 treatments with 6 replicates (10 birds per cage) and fed the corn-soybean meal diets containing 0.60, 0.70, 0.80, 0.90, 1.00, 1.10 or 1.20% Ca for 21days. Each diet contained the constant non-phytate phosphorus content of about 0.39%.
Results

The average daily gain decreased linearly (P < 0.001) as dietary Ca level increased. The serum and tibia alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities, tibia bone mineral density (BMD), middle toe BMD, tibia ash percentage, tibia breaking strength, and tibia ALP protein expression level were affected (P < 0.05) by dietary Ca level, and showed significant quadratic responses (P < 0.02) to dietary Ca levels. The estimates of dietary Ca requirements were 0.80 to 1.00% based on the best fitted broken-line or quadratic models (P < 0.03) of the above serum and bone parameters, respectively.
Conclusions

The results from the present study indicate that the Ca requirements would be about 0.60% to obtain the best growth rate, and 1.00% to meet all of the Ca metabolisms and bone development of broilers fed a conventional corn-soybean meal diet from 1 to 21 days of age.
Finding Appropriate Nickel-Titanium Instruments for Lingual Canals in Mandibular First Premolars with Two Canals: A Micro-CT Study
Authors: Wang Yunqin , Lu Yaqian , Gu Yongchun , Xiong Yuhua , Cai Yixin , Geng Nan , Wang Xuerong , Ji Yingying , Li Jin
Published: September 2021

Background: To find appropriate Nickel-Titanium instruments for lingual canals in mandibular first premolars with two canals.Methods: A total of 42 extracted mandibular first premolars with two canals were selected after micro-CT scanning. The teeth were matched and divided into three groups, and three types of Nickel-Titanium instruments (M3, HyFlex CM and XP-endo Shaper) were used to prepare the lingual canals of the sample teeth. After instrumentation, micro-CT scanning was used again to reconstruct the three-dimensional (3D) teeth model, and then it was geometrically aligned with the original model before instrumentation. Two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional parameters of teeth models were measured to evaluate the ability of cleaning and maintaining the original canal shape by the three different instruments. Results: Compared with HyFlex CM and XP-endo Shaper, the apical transportation of M3 was significantly greater within the apical 3 mm (P < 0.05), while there was no significant difference between HyFlex CM and XP-endo Shaper (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in centering ability among three types of instruments (P > 0.05). In general, HCM group and XPS group performed better than M3 group in the 2D and 3D analysis (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Preparation of the lingual canal in mandibular first premolar was more challenging than that of the main buccal canal. All the three nickel-titanium instruments are safe for canal preparation, and generally, the HyFlex CM and XP-endo Shaper performed better than the M3.
The Effect of TGF-beta-1 Polymorphisms on Pulmonary Disease Progression in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis
Authors: Trojan Tobias , Alcazar Miguel A. , Fink Gregor , Thomassen Jan C. , von Maessenhausen Maxine , Rietschel Ernst , Schneider Peter M. , Koningsbruggen-Rietschel Silke van
Published: September 2021

Background: Transforming Growth Factor-b1 (TGF-b1) is a genetic modifier in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of TGF-b1 are associated with neutrophilic inflammation, lung fibrosis und loss of pulmonary function. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between genetic TGF-b1 polymorphisms and pulmonary disease progression in CF patients. Furthermore, the effect of TGF-b1 polymorphisms on inflammatory cytokines in sputum were investigated. Methods: 56 CF-patients and 62 controls were genotyped for three relevant SNPs in their TGF-b1 sequence using the SNaPshot® technique. Individual “slopes” in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) for all patients were calculated by using documented lung function values of the previous five years. The status of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) infection was determined. Sputum concentrations of the protease elastase, the serine protease inhibitor elafin and the cytokines IL-1b, IL-8, IL-6, TNF-α were measured after a standardized sputum induction and processing. Results: The homozygous TT genotype at codon 10 was associated with a lower rate of chronic Pa infection (p<0.05). The heterozygous GC genotype at codon 25 was associated with lower lung function decline (p<0.05). Patients with homozygous TT genotype at the promotor SNP showed higher levels of TNF-α (p<0,05). Higher levels of TGF-b1 in plasma were associated with a more rapid FEV1 decline over five years (p<0.05). Conclusions: Our results suggest that polymorphisms in the TGF-b1 gene have an effect on lung function decline, Pa infection as well as levels of inflammatory cytokines. Genotyping these polymorphisms could potentially be used to identify CF patients with higher risk of disease progression. TGF-b1 inhibition could potentially be developed as a new therapeutic option to modulate CF lung disease.
Competition Laws and Regulations For a Digital Industry Platform
Authors: Tan Liqun , Sun Jin , Sundarasekar Revathi , Prethi K.N Apinaya
Published: September 2021

During the last two decades, several nations have enacted or reinforced competition legislation. In most countries, at the same time, indigenous sectors are under ever-greater import demand. Towards an analysis, to monitor over time and the presence of imports and the number of domestic companies, on the influence of competitive legislation and rules (CLR) on the domestic competition for several nations. To see the direct impact of the Competition Law on competitiveness as industries with more import exposure or bigger local businesses are tending to be more competitive. However, it should be concluded that industries operating under competition legislation tend to have more domestic companies. This implies that by stimulating entrance, competition legislation may have an indirect influence on domestic competition. In terms of the function of government in industrial growth and the position of the public and private sector in country industrialization, the comparative role for small and big industries, an industrial policy may be described as the declaration of importance. It is essential to introduce new laws and regulations to encourage competition and constrain large industries. The problems of Industry 4.0 will be met through digitalization and automation. The vast amount of data produced on the industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) must be collected, understood, and used. This is precisely what the digital company does by integrating the real world with the digital world. Therefore, the endless quantity of data enables the industry to make the CLR-IIOT technique more sustainable by employing final resources efficiently. Competition results in greater economic dynamic efficiency through innovation, technical advancement, reduced prices, and improved quality and customer service. Competition legislation is necessary since the market may be affected by faults and distortions, and diverse consumers may have recourse to anti-competitive actions such as cartels, abuse of predomination, etc.
Nucleic Acid–Based Rapid Detection of Tuberculosis and Rifampicin Resistance in a Resource-Limited Setting
Authors: Alao Michael Abel , O. Odeyemi Abimbola , B. Ogunbosi Oluwatosin , A. Joseph Adejoke , O. Akinboro Adeolu , R. Ibrahim Olayinka
Published: September 2021

BackgroundThe GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay for the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) and its uptake has been limited in most developing countries. This may lead to under-diagnosis, ineffective treatment and high mortality. We determine the prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and Rifampicin-resistant TB using a nucleic acid–based test and AFB-smear in a Nigerian population.MethodsWe analyzed a single early morning sputum and extrapulmonary specimen from suspected cases of TB. Smear microscopic and real-time PCR for the detection of MTB and mutation on the rpoB gene using a molecular beacon was performed. ResultsThe median age of the participants was 40 years (range: 6 weeks to 120 years). The incidence of MTB and RR-TB determined using GeneXpert were 620 (16.6%) and 59(1.6%), respectively. Acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear identified AFB only in 2 out of 59(3.4%) cases with RR-TB. The agreement between the paired test of GeneXpert and AFB smear was poor (Kappa = 0.009, p = 0.01; McNemar’s p < 0.0001). AFB sensitivity, specificity positive and negative predictive value were 2.4%, 98.2%, 1.9 and 98.1 respectively. The distribution of the RR-TB are more prominent among new TB-AFB-negative cases, those residing in densely populated semi urban communities and migrants at border towns. Conclusion The GeneXpert test shows a high detection for MTB in the paediatric population but a lower RR-TB than the national average. There is a need for aggressive escalation of the nuclei acid based test in low middle-income-countries in order to achieve the end TB strategy in a global village.
Security Aspects of Critical Infrastructure Protection in Anthropogenic Disasters: A Case Study of Belgrade
Authors: Cvetković Vladimir M. , Kezunović Andrija
Published: September 2021

Recognized as the basis for maintaining the functionality of the community in disaster conditions, the protection of critical infrastructure is one of the essential measures to improve society's resilience. Starting from the fact that society can be affected by various natural and anthropogenic disasters, the subject of this chapter refers to a comprehensive analysis of the security aspects of critical infrastructure protection in anthropogenic (anthropogenic) disasters. On the other hand, the social goal of the research is to determine the level of public awareness of the importance of protecting critical infrastructure from these disasters. By applying the quantitative research tradition, quantitative research was realized in Belgrade, in which 200 respondents were interviewed by random sampling. The obtained research results unequivocally indicate that preventive action in this area should be mainly focused on adopting strategies based on which plans are made to prevent these disasters and operational procedures from protecting critical infrastructure.
Peri-Implant Diseases and Gastrointestinal Diseases
Authors: Arma Utmi , Salsabila Nadhifah
Published: September 2021

Peri-implant diseases are serious problems that plagues today’s dentistry, both in terms of therapy and epidemiology. With the expansion of implantology practice and the increasing number of implants placed annually, the frequency of peri-implant diseases has greatly expanded. The clinical manifestations, in the absence of a globally established classification, are peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis, the counterparts of gingivitis and periodontitis, respectively. However, many doubts remain about their features. Official diagnostic criteria, globally recognised by the dental community, have not yet been introduced. The review presented possible association between gastrointestinal diseases and peri-implant diseases. Previous studies had revealed the association with significantly higher levels of bacteria in patient’s gastrointestinal disease at either gingivitis or in periodontitis site. Additionally, pathogenesis of the periodontitis is similar to peri-implant diseases.
Challenges in Diagnosis and Therapy of Recurrent Oral Herpes Infection: Study of Two Cases
Authors: Sari Dwi Kartika , Rahmayanti Febrina , Sasanti Harum , Astuti Ambar Kusuma
Published: September 2021

The symptoms of recurrent oral herpes infection may vary, from mild discomfort to life threatening. Dentists are more likely to be consulted in this oral infection, hence the ability to diagnose and treat this disease is mandatory. This article described manifestation and therapy of recurrent oral herpes infection. In the first case, a 41-year-old woman came with a complaint of painful sore mouth in her lower gingiva. She experienced canker sores for two to three times a year on the tongue, lips and palate. Laboratory results showed positive IgM anti HSV-2, which matched with the primary herpes infection. However, based on the history and clinical manifestations, she was diagnosed with recurrent intra oral herpes infection. In the second case, a 70-year-old man came with a very painful canker sores in his entire mouth. The patient had to be hospitalised for three days and received analgesic, antibiotic and gel containing triamcinolone. After hospitalisation, canker sores did not heal. Extraorally, we found a crust in the vermillion border of the upper lip and intraorally, we found multiple ulceration of keratinised and non-keratinised mucosa. The use of topical steroid in this patient may aggravated ulceration due to its ability to cause rapid spreading of the virus. The first patient was given chlorhexidine gluconate 0.2% and the second patient was prescribed with doxycycline rinse. Both patients received multivitamin containing zinc. Complete history taking, objective and adjunctive examination played a role in establishing the diagnosis and treatment of recurrent oral herpes infections.
Irradiation Time of Photodynamic Therapy to the Number of Lactobacillus acidophilus
Authors: Kunarti Sri , Nuraini Nunik , Astuti Farida Widhi , Lunardi Cecilia GJ , Putri Lulytha Rahmanike
Published: September 2021

Lactobacillus acidophilus (L. acidophilus) is one of the etiological agents for dental caries and dominant in the deep carious lesion. L. acidophilus has also been identified in persistent root canal infection and also related to the failure of endodontic treatment. Photodynamic therapy is a therapeutic process involving the combination of a nontoxic photosensitizer and a light source. The excited photosensitizer reacts with reactive oxygen species (ROS), which induce injury and death of the microorganism. This study aimed to prove the effect of irradiation time of photodynamic therapy to the number of L. acidophilus. Fortytwo Eppendorf tubes were treated with 0.5 ml L. acidophilus distributed into seven groups. Group 1 as the control group received no treatment. Groups 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 were treated with a combination of 0.5 ml toluidine blue O (TBO) as a photosensitizer and 630 nm photoactivated (Fotosan®) exposure time for 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 sec. Then, all were stored in an incubator of 37ºC for 48 h. Later, the colony-forming unit (CFU) was counted for each group. There were significant differences in the number of L. acidophilus in CFU of the various irradiation times. The longer the photodynamic therapy irradiation was, the lesser the number of live L. acidophilus became. At 50 sec and 60 sec irradiation, none of the L. acidophilus was found alive.
Performance and Differences in Grading Practices Among Undergraduates at Business Schools
Authors: OPSTAD Leiv
Published: September 2021

If the ranking of students is based on grade scores independent of the selected college or university, it is critical to have an equal national measurement standard. It is a challenge to ensure this if there is a substantial difference in the composition of the students and enrolment requirements among colleges. Based on three different types of colleges in Norway merged into one unit in 2019, this paper examines the grading practices before and after the fusion. By using a regression model to predict the grade depending upon students’ academic skills, one can identify different grading practices for the three independent schools and compare the results after they become one unit with identical exams and a common evaluation. The results show significantly more lenient grading practices at small colleges with low entry criteria and that the evaluation is more random, depending upon the instructor. Furthermore, this paper confirms that the grade point average (GPA) from upper secondary school, mathematical abilities and gender are strongly correlated with success in business studies.
A Sub-band Anisotropic Diffusion Technique for de-speckling of Ultrasound Images of Breast Cancer
Authors: Singh Mayank Kumar , Saini Indu , Sood Neetu , Saini Jasleen
Published: September 2021

Ultrasound imaging technique finds crucial application in clinical diagnosis of breast cancer. Presence of noise in ultrasound image due to different factor degrades the image quality and so the accuracy of diagnosis. Wavelet thresholding have been used from very beginning for de-noising of ultrasound image. Here in this paper we propose an intervention of anisotropic diffusion techniques in wavelet thresholding. In wavelet thresholding the thresholding operation usually applied after various feature extraction step, but in this study, we proposed to use a combinational approach. The approach reduces computational complexity of previous techniques. The proposed technique provides a Peak Signal to Noise Ratio of 28.46 and Mean Square Error of about 92.5537. The technique was practiced over large dataset of breast cancer images.
A Review on Various Ultrasound Image Despeckling Techniques
Authors: Panwar Abhinav , Sunkaria Ramesh K. , Bedi Anterpreet
Published: September 2021

Ultrasound imaging is considered as one of the most widely used imaging modalities owing to its simple and non-invasive nature. However, ultrasound images are usually manifested with speckle noise, that acts as a hindrance in carrying out any further analysis or disease detection by the radiologists. Despeckling of these images is thus a very important phenomenon to carry out further studies by medical experts. It is of utmost importance that ultrasound images be despeckled, keeping in consideration that no information is lost from the images. This paper covers various despeckling techniques that have been designed for ultrasound images, making sure that no information is lost.
A Review of Brain Tumor Image Segmentation of MR Images Using Deep Learning Methods
Authors: Vijay Amishi , Saini Jasleen , Saini B.S.
Published: September 2021

A significant analysis is routine for Brain Tumor patients and it depends on accurate segmentation of Region of Interest. In automatic segmentation, field deep learning algorithms are attaining interest after they have performed very well in various ImageNet competitions. This review focuses on state-of-the-art Deep Learning Algorithms which are applied to Brain Tumor Segmentation. First, we review the methods of brain tumor segmentation, next the different deep learning algorithms and their performance measures like sensitivity, specificity and Dice similarity Coefficient (DSC) are discussed and Finally, we discuss and summarize the current deep learning techniques and identify future scope and trends.
A Review on Plant Stress Detection and Analysis Through Electrophysiological Signals
Authors: Sai Kavya , Sood Neetu , Saini Indu
Published: September 2021

The bioelectrical activity like ECG, EMG and EEG provides the health condition of heart, muscles, and brain in human beings. In plants, the sensible measurements of physical activity are in their infant phase. Substitution of technology used in biomedical field (human medicine) might consequently provide an understanding about electrophysiological signal activity in plants. These signals in plants when monitored show various dynamics in different stress conditions like osmotic, cold, low light, chemical, over watering etc. Several studies analysing and classifying features of ideal and stressed signal subtleties have shown promising results. In this paper we present a comprehensive review of research contributed to EPG signal analysis in different domains, applications of machine learning in plant stress detection and classification.
A Review on Security and Scalability in M2M
Authors: Singh Simranjit , Verma Pavan Kumar
Published: September 2021

In this paper, we review the scalability and security issues in machine-to-machine(M2M) communications and their proposed solutions. Numerous methods and protocols are available for addressing the issue of security and scalability in M2M communications. Security aspect of the M2M communication should be addressed from the beginning itself so that the implementation of various applications become feasible. All the requirements for interconnection of thousands of devices, M2M networks should have huge scalability for low-cost connectivity according to the need. With the help of a scalable M2M network, cost efficiency becomes higher and consumption of power also decreases.