bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Depression, anxiety, and burnout among medical students and residents of a medical school in Nepal: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Pokhrel Nishan Babu , Khadayat Ramesh , Tulachan Pratikchya
Published: October 2019

Background Medical students and residents were found to have suffered from depression, anxiety, and burnout in various studies. However, these entities have not been adequately explored in the context of Nepal. We proposed to determine the prevalence of depression, anxiety, burnout, their associated factors, and identify their predictors in a sample of medical students and residents in a Nepalese medical school.Methods It was a cross-sectional study with 651 medical students and residents chosen at random between December 2018 and February 2019. The validated Nepali version of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, and Medical Students' Stressor Questionnaire were used to assess depression, anxiety, burnout, and stressors respectively. We used univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses to identify the correlation of predictor variables with depression, anxiety, and burnout.Results The overall prevalence of burnout (48.8%; 95% CI 44.9-52.7) and anxiety (45.3%; 95% CI 41.4-49.2) was more than that of depression (31%; 95% CI 27.5-34.7). Burnout and depression were more prevalent in residents than in medical students (64.5% and 33.7% versus 37.6% and 29.1% respectively). Whereas, medical students were found more anxious than residents (46.3% versus 43.96%). Academic related stressors caused high-grade stress to participants. Multivariable model for depression significantly showed anxiety and personal burnout as risk enhancing correlates; satisfaction with academic performance as a protective correlate. Similarly, the multivariate model for anxiety significantly identified female gender, depression, personal burnout, patient-related burnout, teaching and learning related stressors, and past history of mental illness as risk enhancing correlates; being satisfied with academic performance, getting adequate sleep, being an intern or a resident and less frequent involvement in extracurricular activities as protective correlates. The logistic model for burnout significantly showed depression, anxiety, being a first-year resident, drive and desire related stressors and a rare/never involvement in extracurricular activities as positive predictors.Conclusions A high prevalence of depression, anxiety, and burnout was seen among medical students and residents. Most of them were stressed with academic-related factors. A strong correlation between teaching and learning-related stressors with anxiety may be a call for an efficient and more student-friendly curriculum.
Improving the relevance of randomised trials to primary care: a qualitative study investigating views towards pragmatic trials and the PRECIS-2 tool.
Authors: Forbes Gordon John , Loudon Kirsty , Clinch Megan , Taylor Stephanie JC , Treweek Shaun , Eldridge Sandra
Published: October 2019

Background
Pragmatic trials have been suggested as a way to improve the relevance of clinical trial results to practice. PRECIS-2 (Pragmatic Explanatory Continuum Indicator Summary-2) is a trial design tool which considers how pragmatic a trial is across a number of domains. It is not known whether a pragmatic approach to all PRECIS-2 domains leads to results being more relevant to primary care. The aim of this study was to investigate the views of people with influence on primary care practice towards the design of randomised trials, pragmatic approaches to trial design, and the PRECIS-2 domains.
Methods
We carried out semi-structured interviews with people who influence practice in primary care in the UK. A thematic analysis was undertaken using the framework approach.
Results
We conducted individual or small group interviews involving an elite sample of 17 individuals. We found that an exclusively pragmatic approachto randomised trials may not always make the results of trials more applicable to primary care. For example, it may be better to have less flexibility in the way interventions are delivered in randomised trials than in practice. In addition, an appropriate balance needs to be struck when thinking about levels of resourcing and the intensity of steps needed to improve adherence in a trial. Across other aspects of a trial’s design, for example the population and trial setting, a pragmatic approach was viewed as more appropriate.
Conclusions
To maximize the relevance of research directed at primary care, trials should be conducted with the same populations and settings that are found in primary care. Across other aspects of trials it is not always necessary to match the conditions found in practice.
Retinal Vascular Abnormalities and their Associations with Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascsular Diseases: a Study in Rural Southwestern Harbin, China
Authors: Wang Junwei , Leng Fei , Li Zhijian , Tang Xianling , Qian Hua , Li Xiaoguang , Zhang Yi , Chen Xuedong , Du Haitao , Liu Ping
Published: October 2019

ABSTRAT
Background: Limited data is available on retinal vessel morphology in the north China. The study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of retinal vascular abnormalities (RVAs) and investigate their associations with the self-reported diagnosis of cardiovascular and cerebrovascsular diseases (CCVds) in a rural adult population of northeast China.
Methods: A population-based, cross-sectional study was conducted, using the cluster random sampling method. One eye of each participant was photographed with a non-mydriatic fundus camera. RVAs including focal and general arteriolar narrowing (FAN and GAN), arteriovenous nicking (AVN), arteriolar sheathing (AS), and retinopathy were evaluated. Data on self-reported diagnosis of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and status of smoking and alcohol drinking were obtained from questionnaires.
Results: Among the 6 267 participants with an age ≥50 years, photographs were obtained of 99.2%, with quality sufficient to perform retinal evaluations in 82.5%. The prevalence of FAN, AVN, AS, retinopathy and GAN were 9.1%, 8.9%, 5.0%, 6.6% and 6.2%, respectively. All the retinal lesions were associated with hypertension (all P<0.01). After adjusting for age, gender, and left/right eyes, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, diabetes mellitus, habits of past or current smoking and alcohol consumption, AVN was strongly associated with the self-reported diagnosis histories of coronary heart diseases(CHD) (OR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.09, 1.89) and retinopathy was significantly associated with a self-reported diagnosis of stroke (OR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.18, 3.57).
Conclusions : The overall prevalence of retinal microvascular abnormalities in this population was relatively higher than that reported in other regions of the world. Retinopathy is associated with the self-reported diagnosis of stroke while AVN was associated with the self-reported diagnosis of CHD, but the remaining retinal lesions were not consistently associated with CCVds. Thus, an examination of retinal microvascular characteristics may offer clues to CCVds and could be a potentially novel biomarkers for CCVds risk.
Reducing Dissolved Phosphorus in Stream Water May Not Influence Estimation of Sediment Equilibrium Phosphorus Concentrations
Authors: Henson Eleanor , Lasater Abbie , Haggard Brian E.
Published: October 2019

Core Ideas

The potential for stream sediments to adsorb or release P depends on the sediment equilibrium phosphorus concentration (EPC).

Accurate estimations of sediment EPC are important for watershed modeling and total maximum daily load development.

Existing methods for estimating sediment EPC often require extrapolating past a known dataset.

This study used alum to promote desorption from sediments during EPC estimations.

Results suggested current methods of EPC estimation are acceptable.

The potential for stream sediments to adsorb or release phosphorus (P) depends on the equilibrium P concentration (EPC), which is the water column P concentration where P is neither (net) adsorbed nor released from the sediments. Current methods of measuring EPC in streams include adding known P concentrations to stream water, mixing with fresh sediments, and allowing the mixture to reach equilibrium through P sorption. Sediment EPC is usually calculated as the x‐intercept of the linear relationship between initial P concentrations and P adsorbed by the sediments. However, the x‐intercept is often an extrapolation past the known data set (i.e., no desorption of P from the sediments is simulated). The purpose of this study was to use aluminum sulfate (alum) to decrease ambient P concentrations and encourage P desorption from the sediments and to compare EPC estimations with and without the use of alum treatments. The results from this study found optimal alum dosages to be between 5 and 25 mg‐Al2(SO4)3 L−1 to provide a range of P removal for the EPC experiments. Above 25 mg‐Al2(SO4)3 L−1, stream water pH began to decrease. The other notable changes to water chemistry after alum treatments were increases in sulfate and residual concentrations of aluminum. However, EPC estimations were not significantly different between traditional calculation methods and the use of P desorption data points. These results suggest current methods for EPC estimations are acceptable, and spending time and money to promote desorption of P from the sediments is not necessary to estimate EPC.
Planting Rate and Nitrogen Fertility Affect Runoff Losses during Hybrid Bermudagrass Establishment
Authors: Rice Lance , Beasley Jeffrey , Gaston Lewis , Sanders Kayla , Munshaw Gregg
Published: October 2019

Core Ideas

The high sprig planting rate resulted in faster bermudagrass establishment.

The high and low N fertilizer rates resulted in similar bermudagrass establishment.

Runoff, sediment, and nutrient losses decreased over time as groundcover increased.

High sprigging and low N fertilization rates reduce nutrient losses during establishment.

Bermudagrass is grown on athletic fields, home lawns, and right‐of‐ways because of its quality, excellent wear tolerance, and vigorous growth. Sprigging followed by high N application rates is used for large acreage sites to accelerate bermudagrass establishment. However, low plant density, high soil moisture, and frequent fertilizer applications during establishment present conditions prone to sediment and nutrient movement during intense rainfall. This research simulated sprig establishment conditions while measuring bermudagrass coverage, runoff volume, and concentrations of inorganic N, total P, and sediment during 30‐min rainfall events at 10, 20, and 30 days after planting (DAP) from replicate trays of bermudagrass established at 27.2 or 81.5 m3 ha−1 and fertilized at 12.2 or 48.8 kg N ha−1 wk−1. All treatment combinations of sprig planting rates and N rates resulted in >88% bermudagrass groundcover at 35 DAP. Increasing sprig planting rates accelerated bermudagrass establishment, whereas increasing N fertility did not. As bermudagrass groundcover increased, surface runoff volume and sediment losses declined. However, sprigs fertilized at 48.8 kg ha−1 wk−1 N resulted in higher cumulative N losses of 2.34 and 1.48 kg ha−1 compared with 1.08 and 0.68 kg ha−1 for sprigs fertilized at the low fertility rate. Increasing the sprig planting rate was effective in reducing erosion. Decreasing the N application rate and increasing the planting rate during bermudagrass sprig establishment are best management practices to accelerate bermudagrass canopy closure and reduce potential nutrient and sediment losses.
Rice Yield and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Affected by Chinese Milk Vetch and Rice Straw Retention with Reduced Nitrogen Fertilization
Authors: Liu Ying , Tang Haiying , Muhammad Aamer , Zhong Chuan , Li Ping , Zhang Peng , Yang Binjuan , Huang Guoqin
Published: October 2019

Straw retention and fertilization management can affect rice yield and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission in paddy field. To investigate the effect of leguminous green manure and straw retention plus nitrogen (N) fertilizer on rice yield and GHG emissions, field experiments were conducted from 2017 to 2018 and four treatments were designed, including the treatments of Chinese milk vetch (Astragalus sinicus L.) and rice (Oryza sativa L.) straw retention with reduced chemical N fertilizer application amount named RA (6000 kg hm−2 rice straw plus 102 kg hm−2 N fertilizer during early and late rice respectively), RB (6000 kg hm−2 rice straw plus 87 kg hm−2 N fertilizer during early and late rice season respectively), RC (6000 kg hm−2 rice straw plus 72 kg hm−2 N fertilizer during early and late rice season respectively) and control CK (winter fallow, without straw retention, 120 kg hm−2 N fertilizer during early and late rice season respectively). The results showed treatments RA, RB, and RC significantly increased the early rice yield by 15.79, 21.27, and 13.60% (P < 0.05), and RA and RB significantly increased the annual yield by 14.76 and 15.79% (P < 0.05) compared with control CK. For CH4 cumulative emissions, only RB had no significant impact on it (P > 0.05); treatments RA, RB, and RC had no significant effect on N2O cumulative emissions (P > 0.05). Meanwhile, treatments RA and RC significantly increased GWP and greenhouse gas emission intensity (GHGI) (P < 0.05) of CH4 and N2O, but the difference between RB and control CK was not significant (P > 0.05). Therefore treatment RB had the best effect on rice production and GHG mitigation in paddy fields.

Core Ideas

Straw and vetch retention with reduced N fertilizer were studied on yield and GHGs in double‐cropped rice.

Chinese milk vetch and rice straw retention plus reduced N fertilizer significantly increased rice yields compared with control.

Effect of Chinese milk vetch and rice straw retention plus 87 kg of N fertilizer on GWP and GHGI was not obvious.

Straw and vetch retention can help offset N fertilizer to increase yield and reduce costs, waste, and environment pollution.
Effects of Trinexapac‐Ethyl, Surfactant, and Nitrogen Fertilization on Bermudagrass Water Use
Authors: Schiavon Marco , Orlinski Pawel , Petelewicz Pawel , Pudzianowska Marta , Baird James H.
Published: October 2019

Persisting drought conditions in California are limiting water allocation for golf course irrigation. A study was conducted at the University of California, Riverside to determine if products including trinexapac‐ethyl (TE), a surfactant (Revolution), and nitrogen (N) fertilizer [Gro‐Power (5–3–1); SeaBlend (12–4–5) + StressRX (6–0–2) + XP Extra Protection (5–0–0); YaraLiva (15.5–0–0); Turf Royale (21–7–14); each applied at 25 g N m−2 yr−1) could enhance quality of ‘Princess 77’ bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L. Pers.) irrigated at 53 or 92% turfgrass evapotranspiration (ETc) under fairway conditions. Product and irrigation treatments were applied from May through October 2016 and 2017. Every 2 wk, plots were evaluated for visual quality, normalized difference vegetation index, soil volumetric water content using time domain reflectometry, and percent green cover using digital image analysis. Root samples were collected in November of both years, and fall color retention and spring green‐up were assessed using digital image analysis. At 92% ETc replacement, visual quality was highest in plots that received TE and surfactant. Although no differences were found among fertilizer treatments, fertilization alone was able to sustain visual quality at a minimally acceptable level at 92% ETc. Surfactant had the greatest positive effect on turf irrigated at 53% ETc, whereas TE did not improve visual quality on the same plots. Overall, results indicate that regular applications of either Revolution surfactant or SeaBlend + StressRX + XP Extra Protection can sustain bermudagrass visual quality at 53% ETc.

Core Ideas

Surfactants could substantially reduce irrigation requirements on bermudagrass turf.

Fertilizers with low burning potential should be used in case of water restrictions.

Deficit irrigation results in loss of quality during the summer months.

Severe drought has an effect on bermudagrass root morphology.
Chemically Induced Flow in Contaminated Unsaturated Soil
Authors: Pasut Chiara , Salandin Paolo , Maggi Federico
Published: October 2019

Core Ideas

Chemically induced water movement in unsaturated sand is due mainly to matric gradients.

A secondary cause is osmotic gradients.

Physico‐chemical (matric) and osmotic effects were included in Richards’ equation.

Mechanistic modeling and thermodynamic analyses support results on net flow direction.

Sensitivity analysis indicates hydraulic parameters as the main contributors to observations.

Laboratory experiments and numerical modeling were conducted to assess the effects of glycerol concentration gradients on water flow through an unsaturated loamy sand (Yellow bush sand, Australia) at 46% glycerol mass fraction and 12.5% volumetric water content. When the contaminated and uncontaminated experimental soil sections were placed into contact, two opposite mechanisms were found to drive the flow: (i) the matric potential gradient affected by concentration‐dependent surface tension, viscosity, and density repelled contaminated water; and (ii) the osmotic potential gradient had an opposite effect. Experiments demonstrated that the tested sand did not exhibit the complete semipermeable characteristic necessary to induce pure osmotic flow. Rather, physicochemical effects caused by dissolved glycerol were more relevant for water flow than those induced by the osmotic potential. We confirmed our experimental finding by numerical modeling that explicitly accounted for these effects compared with our experiments and earlier experiments conducted with 7% butanol–water mixtures as benchmarks. Our results were finally confirmed by a thermodynamic interpretation of matric and osmotic potentials. Experiments suggest that a rapid transient condition occurred on the first day and that equilibrium was recovered only after >60 d. The results support the hypothesis that chemically induced water flow in the vadose zone is contributed mainly by matric and only secondarily by osmotic effects, which have displaced 3 to 10% water during the initial transient condition. Predictive tools of contaminant hydrology in unsaturated soil may have to account for the osmotic effects in particular applications that involve soil with high osmotic efficiency.
Microstructural controls on the chemical heterogeneity of cassiterite revealed by cathodoluminescence and elemental X-ray mapping
Authors: Bennett Jason M. , Kemp Anthony I.S. , Roberts Malcolm P.
Published: October 2019

Quantitative X-ray element maps of cassiterite crystals from four localities show that Ti, Fe, Nb, Ta, and W define oscillatory zonation patterns and that the cathodoluminescent response is due to a complex interplay between Ti activated emission paired with quenching effects from Fe, Nb, Ta, and W. Sector zonation is commonly highlighted by domains of high Fe, incorporated via a substitution mechanism independent of Nb and Ta. A second form of sector zonation is highlighted by distributions of W separate to the Fe-dominant sector zone. Both sector zones show quenched cathodoluminescence and are indistinguishable under routine SEM CL imaging. For cassiterite already high in Fe (and Nb or Ta), such as in pegmatitic or granitic samples, the internal structure of the grain may remain obscured when imaged by cathodoluminescence techniques, regardless of the presence of sector zonation. Careful petrogenetic assessments using a combination of panchromatic and hyperspectral CL, aided by quantitative elemental X-ray mapping, is a prerequisite step to elucidate cassiterite petrogenetic history and properly characterize these grains for in situ microanalysis. The absence of a clear petrogenetic framework may lead to unknowingly poor spot selection during in situ analyses for geochronology and trace element geochemistry, and/or erroneous interpretations of U-Pb and O isotopic data.
The role of clay minerals in formation of the regolith-hosted heavy rare earth element deposits
Authors: Li Martin Yan Hei , Zhou Mei-Fu
Published: October 2019

Rare earth elements (REEs) have become increasingly important to our modern society due to their strategical significance and numerous high technological applications. Regolith-hosted heavy rare earth element (HREE) deposits in South China are currently the main source of the HREEs, but the ore-forming processes are poorly understood. In these deposits, the REEs are postulated to accumulate in regolith through adsorption on clay minerals. In the Zudong deposit, the world's largest regolith-hosted HREE deposit, clay minerals are dominated by short, stubby, nanometer-scale halloysite tubes (either 10 or 7 Å) and microcrystalline kaolinite in the saprolite and lower pedolith and micrometer-sized vermicular kaolinite in the humic layer and upper pedolith. A critical transformation of the clay minerals in the upper pedolith is coalescence and unrolling of halloysite to form vermicular kaolinite. Microcrystalline kaolinite also transformed to large, well-crystalline vermicular kaolinite. This transformation could result in significant changes in different physicochemical properties of the clay assemblages. Halloysite-abundant clay assemblages in the deep regolith have specific surface area and porosity significantly higher than the kaolinite-dominant clay assemblages in the shallow soils. The crystallinity of clay minerals also increased, exemplified by decrease in Fe contents of the kaolinite group minerals (from ~1.2 wt% in the lower saprolite to ~0.35 wt% in the upper pedolith), thereby indicative of less availability of various types of adsorption sites. Hence, halloysite-abundant clay minerals of high adsorption capacity in deep regolith could efficiently retain the REEs released from weathering of the parent granite. Reduction in adsorption capacity during the clay transformation in shallow depth partially leads to REE desorption, and the released REEs would be subsequently transported to and adsorbed at deeper part of the soil profile. Hence, the clay-adsorbed REE concentration in the lower pedolith and saprolite (~2500 ppm on average) is much higher than the uppermost soils (~400 ppm on average). Therefore, weathering environments that favor the release of the REEs in the shallow soils but preservation of halloysite in the deep regolith can continuously adsorb REEs in the clay minerals to form economically valuable deposits.
Imaging trace-element zoning in pyroxenes using synchrotron XRF mapping with the Maia detector array: Benefit of low-incident energy
Authors: Barnes Stephen J. , Paterson David , Ubide Teresa , Schoneveld Louise E. , Ryan Chris , Le Vaillant Margaux
Published: October 2019

Trace-element zoning in igneous phenocrysts and cumulus phases is an informative record of magmatic evolution. The advent of microbeam X-ray fluorescence (XRF) mapping has allowed rapid chemical imaging of samples at thin section to decimeter scale, revealing such zoning patterns. Mapping with synchrotron radiation using multidetector arrays has proved especially effective, allowing entire thin sections to be imaged at micrometer-scale resolution in a matter of hours. The resolution of subtle minor element zoning, particularly in first-row transition metals, is greatly enhanced in synchrotron X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) images by scanning with input beam energy below the FeKα line. In the examples shown here, from a phenocryst rich trachybasalt from Mt Etna (Italy) and from a Ni-Cu-PGE ore-bearing intrusion at Norilsk (Siberia), the zoning patterns revealed in this way record aspects of the crystallization history that are not readily evident from XFM images collected using higher incident energies and that cannot be obtained at comparable spatial resolutions by any other methods within reasonable scan times. This approach has considerable potential as a geochemical tool for investigating magmatic processes and is also likely to be applicable in a wide variety of other fields.
Self-consistent theory of many-body localisation in a quantum spin chain with long-range interactions
Authors: Roy Sthitadhi , Logan David E.
Published: October 2019

Many-body localisation is studied in a disordered quantum spin-1/2
chain with long-ranged power-law interactions, and distinct power-law
exponents for interactions between longitudinal and transverse spin
components. Using a self-consistent mean-field theory centring on the
local propagator in Fock space and its associated self-energy, a
localisation phase diagram is obtained as a function of the power-law
exponents and the disorder strength of the random fields acting on
longitudinal spin-components. Analytical results are corroborated using
the well-studied and complementary numerical diagnostics of level
statistics, entanglement entropy, and participation entropy, obtained
via exact diagonalisation. We find that increasing the range of
interactions between transverse spin components hinders localisation and
enhances the critical disorder strength. In marked contrast, increasing
the interaction range between longitudinal spin components is found to
enhance localisation and lower the critical disorder.
Hygiene practices of mothers of hospitalized neonates at a tertiary care neonatal intensive care unit in Zambia
Authors: Park Jason H. , Mwananyanda Lawrence , Servidone Maria , Sichone Jean , Coffin Susan E. , Hamer Davidson H.
Published: October 2019

Risk of neonatal mortality secondary to infections such as pneumonia and diarrhoeal diseases can be influenced by maternal hygiene, but little information is known about current maternal hygiene practices in low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to assess the hygiene practices of mothers of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) patients in Lusaka, Zambia and associated epidemiological factors. A cross-sectional survey of the mothers of hospitalized neonates at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka was conducted. Study nurses orally administered questionnaires to mothers in their local languages about their hygiene practices related to newborn care. Of the 201 mothers surveyed, self-reported hygiene practice was associated with literacy (p = 0.013) and income (p < 0.0001). In contrast, adherence to recommended hygienic newborn care was less common, with only 36% of mothers practising recommended cord care practices. Forgetfulness (32%) and lack of hygiene resources (13%) were the major barriers to hygienic behaviours. Surveyed Zambian women who delivered babies requiring NICU care self-reported adequate hygienic practices and apparently faced difficulty practising them due to forgetfulness and a lack of hygiene resources. Future efforts should focus on improving cord care education, reinforcement of the importance of hygienic behaviours, and the supply of affordable antiseptic tools.
Quantification of eco-compensations based on a bidirectional compensation scheme in a water environment: a case study in the Jiangsu Province, China
Authors: Wang Jianjian , Zhou Jie , Zhao Qiaohua , Jiang Hong , Wang Zixuan
Published: October 2019

This study delineates adjustments to the eco-compensation pilot work of the Taihu Lake Basin and the Huaihe River Basin. The number and location of original compensation sites were adjusted based on the characteristics of the river network and of the water pollution status. A bidirectional eco-compensation system based on water quality exceeding multiple was then implemented. Under this scheme, the eco-compensation payments of each city under three different compensation standards were calculated. A suitable unified short-term compensation standard for the whole province is determined among several compensation payment schemes. The results obtained after implementing the most relevant scheme reveal that (1) the bidirectional eco-compensation system is highly flexible and is viable economically, as the payment of fiscal expenditures used to pay eco-compensation is reasonable. (2) In the southern Jiangsu Province, the ratio of pollutant flux at each compensation site to the total regional flux is relatively high and may, therefore, accurately reflect the water quality condition of the main rivers flowing into the Taihu Lake. (3) The ratio of pollutant flux in the northern Jiangsu Province is low, which highlights the need for further improving the number and location of eco-compensation sites, as well as the compensation methods and standards.
Tubulin Inhibitors Binding to Colchicine-Site: A Review from 2015 to 2019
Authors: Xia Lin-Ying , Zhang Ya-Liang , Yang Rong , Wang Zhong-Chang , Lu Ya-Dong , Wang Bao-Zhong , Zhu Hai-Liang
Published: October 2019

Due to the three domains of the colchicine-site which is conducive to the combination
with small molecule compounds, colchicine-site on the tubulin has become a common target for
antitumor drug development, and accordingly, a large number of tubulin inhibitors binding to the
colchicine-site have been reported and evaluated over the past years. In this study, tubulin inhibitors
targeting the colchicine-site and their application as antitumor agents were reviewed based on the
literature from 2015 to 2019. Tubulin inhibitors were classified into ten categories according to the
structural features, including colchicine derivatives, CA-4 analogs, chalcone analogs, coumarin analogs,
indole hybrids, quinoline and quinazoline analogs, lignan and podophyllotoxin derivatives,
phenothiazine analogs, N-heterocycle hybrids and others. Most of them displayed potent antitumor
activity, including antiproliferative effects against Multi-Drug-Resistant (MDR) cell lines and antivascular
properties, both in vitro and in vivo. In this review, the design, synthesis and the analysis of
the structure-activity relationship of tubulin inhibitors targeting the colchicine-site were described in
detail. In addition, multi-target inhibitors, anti-MDR compounds, and inhibitors bearing antitumor
activity in vivo are further listed in tables to present a clear picture of potent tubulin inhibitors, which
could be beneficial for medicinal chemistry researchers.
Recognition Sites for Cancer-targeting Drug Delivery Systems
Authors: Guan Siyu , Zhang Qianqian , Bao Jianwei , Hu Rongfeng , Czech Tori , Tang Jihui
Published: October 2019

Background:

Target-homing drug delivery systems are now gaining significant attention for use as novel therapeutic approaches in antitumor targeting for cancer therapy. Numerous targeted drug delivery systems have been designed to improve the targeting effects because these systems can display a range of favorable properties, thus, providing suitable characteristics for clinical applicability of anticancer drugs, such as increasing the solubility, and improving the drug distribution at target sites. The majority of these targeting systems are designed with respect to differences between cancerous and normal tissues, for instance, the low pH of tumor tissues or overexpressed receptors on tumor cell membranes. Due to the growing number of targeting possibilities, it is important to know the tumor-specific recognition strategies for designing novel, targeted, drug delivery systems. Herein, we identify and summarize literature pertaining to various recognition sites for optimizing the design of targeted drug delivery systems to augment current chemotherapeutic approaches.

Objective:

This review focuses on the identification of the recognition sites for developing targeted drug delivery systems for use in cancer therapeutics.

Method:

We have reviewed and compiled cancer-specific recognition sites and their abnormal characteristics within tumor tissues (low pH, high glutathione, targetable receptors, etc.), tumor cells (receptor overexpression or tumor cell membrane changes) and tumor cell organelles (nuclear and endoplasmic reticular dysregulation) utilizing existing scientific literature. Moreover, we have highlighted the design of some targeted drug delivery systems that can be used as homing tools for these recognition sites.

Results and Conclusion:

Targeted drug delivery systems are a promising therapeutic approach for tumor chemotherapy. Additional research focused on finding novel recognition sites, and subsequent development of targeting moieties for use with drug delivery systems will aid in the evaluation and clinical application of new and improved chemotherapeutics.
Integrative Exome Sequencing Analysis in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer in Chinese Population
Authors: Hao Lifang , Li Hui , Zhang Su , Yang Yanlei , Xu Zhenzhen , Zhang Yanfen , Liu Zhongcheng
Published: October 2019

Background:

Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC) is a fatal disease with rapid growth.
The malignancy usually presents with metastasis and poor prognosis, and causes 100% mortality. Therefore,
the treatment of CRPC is extremely challenging, and its pathogenesis need to be elucidated urgently.

Objective:

The high throughput sequencing technology was used to sequence the whole exome associated
with CRPC, to explore the molecular mechanism of CRPC, and to find the potential therapeutic targets.

Methods:

We performed whole-exome sequencing of FFPE tissue from 11 Chinese adult male patients.
Genomic DNA was fragmented and enriched for whole-exome sequencing using the QiAamp
DNA FFPE Tissue KIT, sequenced on an Illumina HiSeq2000 platform, and the relevant genes were
analyzed using biological information. Finally, immunohistochemistry method was used to detect the
phosphorylation level of LATS1 in CRPC tissues of MST1 mutant and non-mutant patients.

Results:

We have screened 85 significant mutant genes with relatively high mutation rates of TP53,
AR, KMT2, DMAPK1, PIK3R1, SH2B3, WHSC1, KMT2D, MST1 and MAPK1. We first found that
MST1 has multiple mutations in CRPC patients, and the MST1 plays an important role in the Hippo
pathway. Immunohistochemistry results showed that the phosphorylation level of LATS1 in the mutant
patients was significantly lower than that in the non-mutant patients.

Conclusion:

We speculate that MST1 would be a new potential target for the treatment of CRPC by
regulating Hippo signaling pathway. The results provided an important clue to the molecular mechanism
of CRPC.
Relationship between SNP rs1764391 and Susceptibility, Risk Factors, Gene-environment Interactions of Acute Myocardial Infarction in Guangxi Han Chinese Population
Authors: Li Jun , Qin Rui , Wang Wei , Huang Zhou , Huang Dong-Ling , Li Tian , Wang Fan , Zeng Xiang-tao , Sun Zhong-yi , Liu Xue-feng , Huang Feng , Guo Tao
Published: October 2019

Background:

Large-scale population studies showed that the SNP rs1764391 of Connexin37
gene also known as Cx37 gene may play a pivotal role in the occurrence and development of
acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Published results, however, are highly controversial.

Objective:

This study aimed to examine the association between SNP rs1764391 of Cx37 and diseasesusceptibility,
several risk factors, and gene-environment interactions of AMI in Guangxi Han Chinese
population.

Methods:

In this study, 344 healthy controls and 344 AMI patients of Han Chinese population were
enrolled. The TaqMan assay was implemented to identify genotypes of Cx37 and allele frequencies of
SNP rs1764391 in both the AMI and control groups.

Results:

Significant differences were detected in TT genotype frequencies of SNP rs1764391 between
the AMI and control groups (P < 0.05). In the context of gender stratification, the result was also statistically
different in women (P < 0.05). Each variable such as age, BMI, diabetes, high blood pressure,
smoking and TC was a risk factor and correlated significantly (P < 0.05) with the development of
AMI. HDL-C correlated negatively with the risk of AMI (P < 0.001). BMI, smoking or alcohol consumed
interacts significantly (P < 0.017) with the presence of the SNP rs1764391 CC genotype.

Conclusions:

Evidences were presented that Cx37 rs1764391 variation may contribute to the risk for
AMI, especially in women and this genetic variant may prove to be a potential biomarker for AMI risk
stratification and may prove to be a useful target for therapeutic intervention to further improve prognosis
in high-risk patients.
Design and Biological Evaluation of 3-Aryl-4-alkylpyrazol-5-amines Based on the Target Fishing
Authors: Ma Shuchao , Ouyang Ben , Wang Linan , Yao Lei
Published: October 2019

Background:

Pyrazol-5-amine derivatives are an important class of heterocyclic compounds.
However, there are less 4-alkyl substituted pyrazoles reported.

Objective:

Here reported are the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of 3-aryl-4-
alkylpyrazol-5-amines derivatives.

Methods:

A serials of 3-aryl-4-alkylpyrazol-5-amines were designed and the biological action targets
were screened by target fishing function of Discovery Studio software. The synthesis route involved
3-oxo-3-arylpropanenitrile formation, alkylation, pyrazole formation, and amides formation.
The antitumor activities of these compounds were carried out by thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide
(MTT) method using U-2 OS (osteosarcoma) and A549 (lung cancer) tumor cells.

Results:

Eight 3-aryl-4-alkylpyrazol-5-amines were synthesized, and their structures were verified
by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and HRMS. Thirteen pharmacophores were mapped out by target fishing.
Compound 5h showed anti-proliferation activities against U-2 OS and A549 tumor cell with IC50
value of 0.9 μM and 1.2 μM, respectively.

Conclusion:

Compound 5h might represent a promising scaffold for the further development of
novel antitumor drugs.
Using the Chou’s Pseudo Component to Predict the ncRNA Locations Based on the Improved K-Nearest Neighbor (iKNN) Classifier
Authors: Wu Chengyan , Li Qianzhong , Xing Ru , Fan Guo-Liang
Published: October 2019

Background:

The non-coding RNA identification at the organelle genome level is a
challenging task. In our previous work, an ncRNA dataset with less than 80% sequence identity
was built, and a method incorporating an increment of diversity combining with support vector
machine method was proposed.

Objective:

Based on the ncRNA_361 dataset, a novel decision-making method-an improved
KNN (iKNN) classifier was proposed.

Methods:

In this paper, based on the iKNN algorithm, the physicochemical features of nucleotides,
the degeneracy of genetic codons, and topological secondary structure were selected to represent
the effective ncRNA characters. Then, the incremental feature selection method was utilized to optimize
the feature set.

Results:

The results of iKNN indicated that the decision-making method of mean value is distinctly
superior to the traditional decision-making method of majority vote the Increment of Diversity
Combining Support Vector Machine (ID-SVM). The iKNN algorithm achieved an overall accuracy
of 97.368% in the jackknife test, when k=3.

Conclusion:

It should be noted that the triplets of the structure-sequence mode under reading
frames not only contains the entire sequence information but also reflects whether the base was
paired or not, and the secondary structural topological parameters further describe the ncRNA secondary
structure on the spatial level. The ncRNA dataset and the iKNN classifier are freely available
at http://202.207.14.87:8032/fuwu/iKNN/index.asp.
Diversidad de Coleoptera (Insecta) en dos comunidades vegetales del rancho Teseachi, Chihuahua, México
Authors: Ochoa-García Daniel , Fernández Jesús Abraham , Jiménez-Hernández Violeta Saraí , Camargo-Sanabria Ángela Andrea , Hernández-Cumplido Johnattan , Espinoza José Roberto
Published: October 2019

Coleoptera is one of the most diverse and studied order of insects. However, knowledge of its diversity in Chihuahua is scarce. In this study, the diversity of beetles in two plant communities (Navajita grass pasture and oak-pine forest) was compared. The collections were made monthly through a period of six months, from June to November of 2018. Transects were defined in both communities where two methods of collection were used (manual and pitfall traps). We determined the species richness and abundance for each plant community. To assess the diversity of Coleoptera species per vegetation type, a species effective method was performed. To evaluate the change in relative abundances, a range-abundance curve was graphed, and a non-metric multidimensional scaling was performed in order to evaluate the similarity between communities. 209 organisms were obtained, represented by 12 families, 29 genera and 42 morpho species and species. The largest number of individuals and species was found in the Oak-pine forest. However, the index showed that there is greater diversity in grasslands (16.6 effective species) than in the oak-pine forests (8.5 effective species). The similarity between communities was low, which may be determined by the presence of associated exclusive species for each type of forest community (20 for the pine-oak forest and 14 for the grassland) 13 species, seven genera and one family are listed as new records for the state of Chihuahua.
Primer reporte de necrosis avascular de cabeza femoral en una cabra (Capra aegagrus hircus) en el Perú
Authors: Salinas Campos Eben Amed , Celi Mariategui Irma
Published: October 2019

Se reporta el caso de una cabra macho de raza alpina de 7 meses de edad, que presentaba claudicación del miembro posterior derecho sin causa definida. Se realizaron los exámenes clínicos y radiográficos, sugiriendo luxación traumática o necrosis avascular de cabeza femoral con consecuente enfermedad degenerativa articular. Se realizó tratamiento quirúrgico mediante artroplastia por excisión de cabeza y cuello femoral. El estudio histopatológico mediante la coloración de hematoxilina y eosina describió: hueso necrótico, lagunas conteniendo osteocitos necróticos, además de médula ósea necrótica. Esta información comprobó el diagnóstico de necrosis avascular de la cabeza y cuello femoral. En el post quirúrgico, la recuperación clínica del paciente se consideró buena, mitigando el dolor y mejorando la función del miembro afectado. El presente caso se trata del primer reporte de esta enfermedad en caprinos en el Perú.
Comparing a Tailored Self-Help Mobile App With a Standard Self-Monitoring App for the Treatment of Eating Disorder Symptoms: Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Tregarthen Jenna , Paik Kim Jane , Sadeh-Sharvit Shiri , Neri Eric , Welch Hannah , Lock James
Published: October 2019

Background

Eating disorders severely impact psychological, physical, and social functioning, and yet, the majority of individuals with eating disorders do not receive treatment. Mobile health apps have the potential to decrease access barriers to care and reach individuals who have been underserved by traditional treatment modalities.

Objective

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a tailored, fully automated self-help version of Recovery Record, an app developed for eating disorders management. We examined differences in eastin disorder symptom change in app users that were randomized to receive either a standard, cognitive behavioral therapy–based version of the app or a tailored version that included algorithmically determined clinical content aligned with baseline and evolving user eating disorder symptom profiles.

Methods

Participants were people with eating disorder symptoms who did not have access to traditional treatment options and were recruited via the open-access Recovery Record app to participate in this randomized controlled trial. We examined both continuous and categorical clinical improvement outcomes (measured with the self-report Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire [EDE-Q]) in both intervention groups.

Results

Between December 2016 and August 2018, 3294 Recovery Record app users were recruited into the study, out of which 959 were considered engaged, completed follow-up assessments, and were included in the analyses. Both study groups achieved significant overall outcome improvement, with 61.6% (180/292) of the tailored group and 55.4% (158/285) of the standard group achieving a clinically meaningful change in the EDE-Q, on average. There were no statistically significant differences between randomized groups for continuous outcomes, but a pattern of improvement being greater in the tailored group was evident. The rate of remission on the EDE-Q at 8 weeks was significantly greater in the group receiving the tailored version (d=0.22; P≤.001).

Conclusions

This is the first report to compare the relative efficacy of two versions of a mobile app for eating disorders. The data suggest that underserved individuals with eating disorder symptoms may benefit clinically from a self-help app and that personalizing app content to specific clinical presentations may be more effective in promoting symptomatic remission on the EDE-Q than content that offers a generic approach.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02503098; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02503098.
Characteristics Of Hydrothermal Alteration In Cijulang Area, West Java, Indonesia
Authors: Tun Myo Min , Warmada I Wayan , Harijoko Agung , Al-Furqan Reza , Watanabe Koichiro
Published: October 2019

Characterization of hydrothermal alteration in theCijulang area (West Java, Indonesia) was carriedout using shortwave infrared spectroscopy. Hydrothermal alteration in the Cijulang area occurs in the calc-alkaline volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks. Shortwave infrared spectroscopic measurements of reflectance for altered rocks and minerals were carried out by ASD-FieldSpec and the laboratory spectra acquired were then analysed with “The Spectral Geologist” software program. Shortwave infrared spectroscopy is capable of detecting most finegrained alteration minerals from different hydrothermal alteration zones. Characteristic alteration minerals identified from the SWIR technique include pyrophyllite, alunite, kaolinite, dickite, illite, montmorillonite, polygorskite, gypsum, epidote, paragonite, and muscovite. Most of the spectra show mixture ofalteration minerals and only a few display pure spectra of single mineral. The crystallinity of kaolinite from the samples was also determined from the reflectance spectra and show moderately to high crystallinity. Alteration system of the Cijulang prospectis similar to others documented high-sulfidation epithermal deposits, such as Rodalquilar (Spain), Summitville (Colorado), and Lepanto (Philippines). A characteristic alteration sequence and zonation of advanced argillic, argillic and propylitic alterationoutward from the silica core has resulted from the progressive cooling and neutralization of hot acidic magmatic fluid with the host rocks.Keywords: Cijulang, High-sulfidation, Alteration minerals, Shortwave Infrared Spectroscopy