bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adverse Events Following Immunization of ChAdOx1 nCoV- 19 Vaccine Among Health Care Workers of a Tertiary Care Hospital of North India
Authors: Dhamnetiya Deepak , Kumar Pankaj , Goel Shelesh Kumar , Jha Abhinav , Bharatwal Apoorv Amitabh , Singh Saurabh , Jha Ravi Prakash
Published: March 2022

Background
Adverse events following immunization (AEFI) of COVID-19 vaccines among healthcare workers (HCW) of North India remains underexplored. The prevalence of AEFI is usually directly related to willingness to get vaccinated among general population. In this study we report prevalence of AEFI and factors associated with the AEFI of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (Covishield) among HCW of a tertiary care hospital of North India.
Methods
A cross-sectional study conducted in the month of June & July, 2021, HCW (N = 203) of 18 years and above who had received at least the 1st dose of Covishield vaccine were included after taking their informed consent. A semi-structured, pre-validated and pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect information. The Questionnaire was divided into five sections: socio-demographic profile, behavioural characteristics, past medical history, COVID-19 awareness and past infection and COVID-19 vaccine related information. Data was collected through interview schedule. Chi-squared test was applied to check the association of different factors with AEFI.
Results
In our study 73.89% participants suffered from at least one AEFI after 1st dose of vaccine, while 48.66% had at least one AEFI after 2nd dose. Females reported significantly high AEFI compared to males for both the doses of Covishield vaccine (p = 0.001, 0.000). We found significant association between occurrence of AEFI and occupation (1st dose p = 0.015), substance abuse (1st dose p = 0.002), diet (1st dose p = 0.016), and allergy (1st dose p = 0.027). Other significant findings were headache among HCW ≥ 40 years of age (2nd dose p = 0.034), systemic AEFI in participants with comorbidity (1st dose p = 0.020).
Conclusions
More AEFI were reported after first dose as compared to the second dose. AEFI were more among females after both the doses. Occupation, substance use, diet, and history of allergy were significantly associated with occurrence of AEFI. Awareness should be created among general population about the mild AEFI to reduce the vaccine hesitancy. There should be provision of follow-up of vaccinated person for early detection of possible AEFI. Proper advice should be given to vaccinated candidates about adverse events of self-medication after AEFI.
The Ant1 / panx1 pathway sensitizes patients with NAFLD to lifestyle interventions
Authors: Sun Bo , Lai Linying , Zhang Han , Yang Wenzhuo
Published: March 2022

Background: Different patients have different sensitivities to lifestyle interventions (LSI) and thus different outcomes (improved or unchanged). In the present study, we aim to find key markers that can identify patients sensitive to lifestyle interventions. Methods: Raw data were obtained from the Liver Clinic and Obesity Clinic of the Antwerp University Hospital that divided patients into LSI responders and non-responders based on the effectiveness of the intervention at the pathologic level. The limma / voom algorithm was used for difference analysis; Over representation analysis was used for functional enrichment analysis. Functional class scoring was used for gene set enrichment analysis. WGCNA and PPI / MCODE were used to identify valuable modules and genes. Western blot and immunohistochemistry were used for experimental validation.Results: Specific features of LSI responders were extracted based on differential expression and functional enrichment. The CIBERSORT and ESTIMATE algorithm reconfirmed that there were differences in the immune cell composition of LSI responders versus non-responders. Next, the WGCNA algorithm was used to integrate analyses of associations between immune cell phenotypes and genes. PPI and MCODE algorithms were used to screen for gene clusters with higher weights. The test set and validation set data were subjected to correlation analysis of the filtered genes to obtain the hub gene - ANT1. ANT1 was highly expressed in LSI responders, while it was lowly expressed in non-responders. Mechanistically, ANT1 responds to lifestyle intervention by activating Panx1, which is key to lesion improvement in LSI responder populations. Conclusions: In the study, we confirm that LSI responders populations respond to exercise intervention via the ANT1 / Panx1 pathway.
The Pivotal Role of miRNA-21 in Myocardial Metabolic Flexibility in Response to Short- and Long-term High Glucose Treatment: Evidence in Human Cardiomyocyte Cell Line
Authors: Scisciola Lucia , Benedetti Rosaria , Chianese Ugo , Fontanella Rosaria Anna , Gaudio Nunzio Del , Marfella Raffaele , Surina Surina , Altucci Lucia , Barbieri Michelangela , Paolisso Giuseppe
Published: March 2022

BackgroundmiRNA-21 is a micro-RNA widely studied for its implications in several biological functions, including apoptosis, inflammation, fibrosis, and metabolism. Interestingly, miRNA-21 is a crucial regulator of developing cardiac diseases, but its role is controversial, and it is necessary to clarify its function in pathophysiological events of diabetic cardiomyopathy. In the present study we clarified the protective role of miRNA-21 at cardiac level and evaluated the involvement of miRNA-21 in high glucose induced-acute and chronic cardiac damage. MethodsHuman ventricular cardiac myoblasts AC16, treated and not with miR-21 inhibitor, were exposed to high glucose (33 mM) for 2 and 7 days, and the expression of fibrosis, inflammation, apoptosis, oxidative stress markers were assessed using western blotting. Further, cardiac energetic metabolism was evaluated by measuring both the expression of glucose transporters and regulators of lipids using western blotting analysis and key mitochondrial function parameters (oxygen consumption rate and proton production rate) using Seahorse technology.ResultsShort-term high glucose treatment induced a significant increase in miR-21 expression (p<0.05) that was associated with an increase in hydrogen ion flux and energy potential dissipation without any change in energy production or increase in the expression of genes involved in cellular damage. The reduction of miR-21 expression levels (p<0.05), observed after long-term (7 days) high glucose treatment, induced the activation of inflammation, apoptosis pathways and compromises mitochondrial function as demonstrated by the incapacity to answer energy demand and the impairment of physiological mitochondrial function (p<0.05).ConclusionIn human cardiomyocytes, the abundance of miR-21 takes part in the first defense mechanism against cardiac insult and its cardioprotective effect depends on the time of exposure to the injury. Moreover, miRNA-21regulates mitochondrial respiration and the ability of cells to select the most appropriate substrate for ATP production in a given environment.
Patient-specific assays based on whole-genome sequencing data to measure residual disease in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia – a proof-of- concept study
Authors: Arthur C , Rezayee F , Mogensen N , Saft L , Rosenquist R , Nordenskjöld M , Harila-Saari A , Tham E , Barbany G
Published: March 2022

Risk-adapted treatment in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) relies on genetic information and measurable residual disease (MRD) monitoring. In this proof-of-concept study, DNA from diagnostic bone marrow from six children with ALL, without stratifying genetics or CNS involvement, underwent whole-genome sequencing to identify structural variants (SVs) in the leukemic blasts. Unique sequences generated by SVs were targeted with patient-specific droplet digital PCR assays, and genomic and cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from bone marrow, plasma and cerebrospinal fluid were analyzed longitudinally. The results indicate that this approach is a feasible option for accurate MRD quantification and that cfDNA may contribute valuable information regarding MRD and low-grade CNS involvement.
Activation of the Chemokine Receptor 3 Pathway Leads to a Better Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Patients with Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma
Authors: Feng Wenqin , Lin Anqi , Sun Le , Wei Ting , Ying Haoxuan , Zhang Jian , Luo Peng , Zhu Weiliang
Published: March 2022

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have made important breakthrough in anti-tumor therapy, however, no single biomarker can accurately predict their efficacy. Studies have found that tumor microenvironment is a key factor for determining the response to ICI therapy. Cytokine receptor 3 (C-X-C Motif Chemokine Receptor 3, CXCR3) pathway has been reported to play an important role in the migration, activation, and response of immune cells. We analyzed survival data, genomics, and clinical data from patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) who received ICI treatment to explore the relationship between CXCR3 pathway activation and the effectiveness of ICIs. The Cancer Genome Atlas Bladder Urothelial Carcinoma cohort and six other cohorts receiving ICI treatment were used for mechanism exploration and validation. In the ICI cohort, we performed univariate and multivariate COX analyses and discovered that patients in the CXCR3-high group were more sensitive to ICI treatment. A Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that patients in the high CXCR3-high group had a better prognosis than those in the CXCR3-low group (P=0.0001, Hazard Ratio=0.56; 95% CI: 0.42−0.75). CIBERSORT analysis found that mUC patients in the CXCR3-high group had higher levels of activated CD8+ T cells, M1 macrophages, and activated NK cells and less regulatory T cell (Treg) infiltration. Immunogenicity analysis showed the CXCR3-high group had higher tumor neoantigen burden (TNB). Our study suggests that CXCR3 pathway activation may be a novel predictive biomarker for the effectiveness of immunotherapy in mUC patients.
PreCoF: Counterfactual Explanations for Fairness
Authors: Goethals Sofie , Martens David , Calders Toon
Published: March 2022

This paper studies how counterfactual explanations can be used to assess the fairness of a model. Using machine learning for high-stakes decisions is a threat to fairness as these models can amplify bias present in the dataset, and there is no consensus on a universal metric to detect this. The appropriate metric and method to tackle the bias in a dataset will be case-dependent, and it requires insight into the nature of the bias first. We aim to provide this insight by integrating explainable AI (XAI) research with the fairness domain. More specifically, apart from being able to use (Predictive) Counterfactual Explanations to detect explicit bias when the model is directly using the sensitive attribute, we show that it can also be used to detect implicit bias when the model does not use the sensitive attribute directly but does use other correlated attributes leading to a substantial disadvantage for a protected group. We call this metric $PreCoF$, or Predictive Counterfactual Fairness. Our experimental results show that our metric succeeds in detecting occurrences of implicit bias in the model by assessing which attributes are more present in the explanations of the protected group compared to the unprotected group. These results could help policymakers decide on whether this discrimination is justified or not.
High Glucose-Induced ROS-Accumulation in Zebrafish Larvae Leads to Mitochondria- Mediated Apoptosis
Authors: Li Yaoqi , Chen Qianqian , Liu Yinai , Bi Liuliu , Jin Libo , Xu Ke , Peng Renyi
Published: March 2022

In recent decades, diabetes mellitus has become a major chronic disease threatening human health worldwide, and the age of patients tends to be younger; however, the pathogenesis remains unclear, resulting in many difficulties in its treatment. As an ideal model animal, zebrafish can simulate the processes of human diabetes well. In this study, we successfully established a model of diabetic zebrafish larvae in a previous work. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis was completed, and the results suggested that 10.59% of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to the apoptosis pathway need to be considered. Then, glucose-induced developmental toxicity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, antioxidant system function, apoptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction were measured in zebrafish larvae. We hope that this study will provide valuable reference information for type 2 juvenile diabetes treatment.
Microstructures and Mechanical Properties of Non-thinning and Penetrating Friction Stir Welded 2219-T6 Aluminum Alloy
Authors: Li Dongrui , Liu Huijie , Chen Siping , Du Shuaishuai , Hu Yanying , Li Xuanmo , Gao Yisong
Published: March 2022

In the conventional friction stir welding (CFSW) process, a certain size spindle tilting angle and shoulder plunge depth were applied in order to obtain high-quality welds. However, what was the reason for the thinning phenomenon of weld and thus the weakening of weld bearing capacity? The reduction of spindle tilting angle and shoulder plunge depth was likely to cause the welding tool not being able to reach the weld root, and thus it was engendered for the kissing bond or the absence of complete penetration. In the present study, a novel welding tool with large-size shoulder and Archimedes spiral groove was designed in order to achieve non-thinning and lack of kissing bond welds. The microstructures and mechanical properties of the joints obtained by the Non-thinning and Penetrating Friction Stir Welding (NTPFSW) and the Penetrating Friction Stir Welding (PFSW) had been analyzed in detail. Compared with PFSW, NTPFSW had a narrow shoulder affected zone. The stir zones (SZ) obtained by the PFSW and NTPFSW were both composed of fine equiaxed grains. The grains in the upper part of NTPFSW joint were larger in size and the number of precipitates (θ’ phase) was less. NTPFSW completely eliminated weld thinning phenomenon and the tensile properties were improved.
Characterization Of Danube Swabian Population Samples On A High-Resolution Genome-Wide Basis
Authors: Bánfai Zsolt , Kövesdi Erzsébet , Sümegi Katalin , Büki Gergely , Szabó András , Magyari Lili , Ádám Valerián , Pálos Ferenc , Miseta Attila , Kásler Miklós , Melegh Béla
Published: March 2022

Background: German-derived ethnicities are one of the largest ethnic groups in Hungary, dating back to the formation of the Kingdom of Hungary, which took place at the beginning of the 11th century. Germans came to Hungary in many waves. The most significant immigration wave took place following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in East-Central Europe which closed the 150-year long Ottoman occupation. To date, there are no comprehensive genome-wide studies investigating the genetic makeup of the Danube Swabians. Here we analyzed 47 Danube Swabian samples collected from elderly Danube Swabian individuals living in the Dunaszekcső-Bár area, Danube side villages in Southwest Hungary. Based on self-declaration they did not admix with other ethnic groups for 3-6 succeeding generations. Using Illumina Infinium 720K Beadchip genotype data, we applied allele frequency-based and haplotype-based genome-wide marker data analyses to investigate the ancestry and genetic composition of the collected Danube Swabian samples.Results: Haplotype-based analyses like identity by descent and homozygosity by descent analyses show that the investigated Danube Swabians remained isolated from other ethnic groups which was supported by the D-statistics results. According to our results, the investigated Danube Swabian individuals do not possess detectable recent admixture, and our results suggest that their main source of ancestry can be traced back to the region of Germany. Conclusions: This is the first analysis of Danube Swabian population samples based on genome-wide autosomal data. Our results establish the basis for conducting further comprehensive research on Danube Swabians and on other German ethnicities of the Carpathian basin, which can help reconstruct their origin, and identify their major archaic genomic patterns.
Associated Maternal And Fetal Factors Of Fetal Congenital Heart Diseases Diagnosed By Fetal Echocardiography
Authors: Ruan Yanping , Xie Zan , Liu Xiaowei , He Yihua
Published: March 2022

Objective: Current studies have suggested that fetal congenital heart diseases (CHDs) are caused by various factors. However, few data is available with respect to the aspect in China. This study aimed to detect associated maternal and fetal factors of fetal CHD in a large sample in China.Study Design: Pregnant women who underwent fetal echocardiography (N=5024) were recruited in our hospital between May 2018 and September 2019. Of these, 875 pregnant women had fetuses with CHD. The maternal sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics and some fetal factors were obtained. We used forward stepwise logistic regression analysis to assess the associations of fetal CHD with various factors.Results: Among the fetal CHD group (N=875), critical CHDs account for 27%, of which Tetralogy of Fallot is the most (7.1%), followed by coarctation of aorta (4.0%), Double-outlet right ventricle (2.9%). The forward stepwise logistic regression models revealed that gravidity (OR=1.32, 95%CI 1.21-1.43, P=0.000), upper respiratory tract infection during early pregnancy (OR=1.30, 95%CI 1.04-1.63, P=0.021), mental stress during early pregnancy (OR=2.87, 95%CI 1.35-5.92, P=0.006), single umbilical artery (OR=2.46, 95%CI 1.24-4.85, P=0.010), and parental smoking (OR=1.20, 95%CI 1.00-1.45, P=0.048) are positively associated with an increased risk of fetal CHD.Conclusion: We identified two maternal factors and two fetal factors positively associated with fetal CHD.. These findings suggest that it is important to strengthen healthcare and prenatal counseling for women with these factors.
Interpeduncular Cistern Intrathecal Targeted Drug Delivery for Intractable Postherpetic Neuralgia: A Case Report
Authors: Fu Feng , Jiang Xianfeng , Gong Lei , Yun Chen , Tang Fengwu
Published: March 2022

BackgroundIntractable Postherpetic Neuralgia(PHN) can be difficult to manage though receiving aggressive multimodal therapies. Patients who experience uncontrolled refractory PHN on head despite conservative treatment may benefit greatly from intrathecal drug delivery system （IDDS）. For craniofacial neuropathic pain，the traditional approach has been to place the intrathecal catheter tip usually below the level of cranial nerve root entry zones, which may lead to an insufficient analgesic effect.Case presentationHerein, we describe a 69-year-old male had a one-year history of PHN after developing a vesicular rash in the ophthalmic division of cranial nerve V (trigeminal nerve) distribution. The pain was rated 7-8 at rest and 9-10 of breakthrough pain(BTP) on an numeric rating scale(NRS). Despite receiving aggressive multimodal therapies including large doses of oral analgesics and Sphenopalatine Ganglion Block (SGB), with no relief of his pain, and subsequently the patient elected to pursue an implantable IDDS with the catheter tip placed at the interpeduncular cistern. The frequency of BTP episodes was also decreased. The patient’s continuous daily dose was adjusted to 0.032 mg/day after 3 months of follow-up and stop 5 months later.ConclusionThe use of interpeduncular cistern intrathecal infusion with low dose of opioids by IDDS may present an effective alternative in the management of severe PHN and other forms of neuropathic-associated craniofacial pain.
Evaluation of genes and molecular pathways involved in the development of cardiovascular disease in preeclampsia patients: biological system and bioinformatics analysis approach
Authors: Amirlatifi Shahrzad , Pazoki Mahboubeh , Amrovani Mehran , ghezelbash Shima , Dastyar Fatemeh
Published: March 2022

Background: Hypertension in preeclampsia (PE) is one of the most important complications in these patients, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Bioinformatics analysis can identify the signaling pathways, genes and microRNAs involved in the development of CVD due to hypertension; it can also reduce the risk of developing PE by providing appropriate target therapies.Method: In this study, after collecting data and determining the gene list, changes in gene expression in patients with severe and non-severe forms of PE were compared. Protein-Protein interaction (PPI) and pathway enrichment analysis were also used to evaluate the common genes and pathways between the two cited forms of PE. Result: FGF, TNF, Adherent junction, metabolic signaling pathway, GATA3-mediated activation pathways of Th2, EGF / EGFR signaling pathway and Rab GTPase among the most important signaling pathways are effective in CVD development. HLTF, SUMO1, KDR, SNRPD3, DERL2, VCP, EIF4B, NOTCH1, SOCS3, CBL, ICAM-1, ITGB2, STRN, MEF2A and PTPRC are the most important genes and miR-3135-3P, miR-505, miR-6088, miR-451, miR-4637-3P, miR-1281-3P, miR-4304-3P, miR-323-3P, miR-3150-3p.1, miR-4718, miR-151-5p, miR-3117-5p.2, miR-3613, miR-1278- 3P, miR-4467, miR-4730 , miR-190b-3p , miR-610-5p, miR-3648-3p , miR-4796-3p, miR-2277-3P, miR-325, miR- 6807-3p , miR-551a-3p, and miR-3131-3P have been also effective in the development of CVD by hypertension in PE patients. Conclusion: Finally, it was concluded that identification of common signaling pathways, genes and microRNAs between severe and non-severe forms of PE can be effective to design preventive and treatment strategies for CVD caused by hypertension.
Ignition of Small Molecule Inhibitors in Friedreich's Ataxia with Explainable Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Kırboğa Kevser Kübra , Küçüksille Ecir Uğur , Köse Utku
Published: March 2022

Iron (Fe) chelating medicines and Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors are two therapy options for hereditary Friedreich's Ataxia that have been shown to improve clinical results (FA). Fe chelation molecules can be used to minimize the quantity of stored Fe, and HDAC inhibitors can be used to boost the expression of the Frataxin (FXN) gene in the process of enhancing FA. A complete quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) search of inhibitors from the ChEMBL database is reported in this paper, which includes 437 compounds for Fe chelation and 1,354 compounds for HDAC inhibitors. For further investigation, the IC50 was chosen as the unit of bioactivity, and following data refinement, a final dataset of 436 and 1,163 compounds for Fe chelation and HDAC inhibition, respectively, was produced. The Random Forest (RF) technique was used to generate models, and the models created using the PubChem fingerprint were the strongest of the 12 fingerprint kinds, hence that feature was chosen for interpretation. The results showed the importance of properties related to nitrogen-containing functional groups and aromatic rings. As a result, we explained the effect of the molecular fingerprints used on the models and therefore the effects on possible drugs that can be developed for FA with artificial intelligence (XAI), which can be explained through SHAP (Shapley Additive Explanations) values. Model scripts and fingerprinting methods are also available at https://github.com/tissueandcells/XAI.
Conflict, Epidemic And Faith Communities: The Reconfiguration Of Church-State Relations During The Fight Against Covid-19 In North-Eastern DR Congo
Authors: Kangamina Sadiki , Falisse Jean-Benoit , Baba Amuda , Grant Liz , Pearson Nigel , Way Yossa , Wild-Wood Emma
Published: March 2022

Background: understanding and improving access to essential services in (post)-conflict settings requires paying particular attention to the actors who occupy the space left ‘empty’ by weak or deficient State institutions. Religious institutions often play a fundamental role among these actors and typically benefit from high trust capital, a rare resource in so-called ‘fragile’ States. While part of the literature has looked at the role faith organisations can play to mobilise and sensitise communities during emergencies, our focus is on a different, essential dimension: the reconfiguration of the relationship between religion and health authorities impelled by health crises.Methods: we analyse observations, interviews, and focus group discussions with 21 leaders from eight different religious categories in Ituri province in 2020-2021.Results: we show how faith institutions handled the Covid-19 lockdown period, notably by using and redeploying structures at the grassroots level but also by responding to health authorities’ call for support. New actors usually not associated with the health system, such as revivalist churches, got involved. The closure of worship places during the lockdown shocked all faith leaders; some saw it as a test of faith while others criticised inconsistent State measures, but, ultimately, most were inclined to follow and support health authorities. Such experience was, however, often one of frustration and feeling unheard. The interviewed religious leaders, especially those whose congregations were not previously involved in healthcare provision, felt that they were doing a favour to the State and the health authorities. Such service is at the level of community-level awareness-raising, but also, crucially, leaders were aware that by publicly committing themselves against Covid-19, they were participating in an effort to depoliticise Covid-19 in a context where the response to past epidemics, especially Ebola, is highly contentious. Conclusions: in the short run, depoliticization may help address health emergencies, but in the longer run and in the absence of a credible space for discussion, it may affect the constructive criticism of health system responses and health system strengthening. The faith leaders’ frustration with the ‘collaboration’ with health authorities (especially for the new actors) also limits its long-term potential.
A 16th Century Escherichia Coli Draft Genome Associated with an Opportunistic Bile Infection
Authors: Long George , Klunk Jeniffer , Duggan Ana , Tapson Madeline , Giuffra Valentina , Gazzè Lavinia , Fornaciari Antonio , Duchene Sebastian , Fornaciari Gino , Clermont Olivier , Denamur Erick , Golding Brian , Poinar Hendrik
Published: March 2022

Escherichia coli – one of the most characterized bacteria and a major public health concern – remains invisible across the temporal landscape. Here, we present the meticulous reconstruction of the first ancient E. coli genome from a 16th century gallstone from an Italian mummy with chronic cholecystitis. We isolated ancient DNA and reconstructed the ancient E. coli genome. It consisted of one chromosome of 4446 genes and two putative plasmids with 52 genes. The E. coli strain belonged to the phylogroup A and an exceptionally rare sequence type 4995. The Type VI secretion system component genes appears to be horizontally acquired from Klebsiella aerogenes, however we could not identify any pathovar specific genes were detected nor any antibiotic resistances. A sepsis mouse assay performed using a closely related contemporary E. coli strain was avirulent. Our reconstruction of this ancient E. coli helps paint a more complete picture of the burden of opportunistic infections of the past.
Stakeholders’ perceptions and experiences on planning for population-level interventions targeting risk factors for hypertension and diabetes in South Africa: a qualitative study.
Authors: Hendricks Lynn , Uwimana-Nicol Jeannine , Young Taryn
Published: March 2022

Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of premature death globally, primarily in low to upper middle-income countries. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore stakeholders’ perceptions on the planning for of population-level interventions (policies and programmes), targeting risk factors for hypertension and diabetes, in South Africa. Methods: Using purposive sampling we recruited 15 participants, who were likely to be well informed about the policies, programs or supportive environment for prevention and management of diabetes and hypertension in South Africa. We conducted 12 individual interviews and 1 group interview (consisting of 3 participants). Data was analysed thematically in NVivo. The results were shared and discussed in two consultative stakeholder workshops with participants as part of a member validation process in qualitative research. All communication with participants was done virtually using MS Teams or ZOOM.Results: For planning of population level interventions, key enablers included, stakeholders’ engagement and collaboration, contextualization of policies and programs, and evaluation and organic growth. Challenges for supportive policy and program formulation, and to enable supportive environments, included the lack of time and resources, lack of consultation with stakeholders, regulations and competing priorities, and ineffective monitoring and evaluation.Conclusion: To address the risk factors for hypertension and diabetes in SA, policies and programs must account for the needs of the public and the historical and socio-economic climate. Feasibility and sustainability of programs can only be ensured when the resources are provided, and environments enabled to promote behavior change on a population-level. A holistic public health approach, that is contextually relevant, and evidence informed, is considered best practice in the formulation of population-level interventions.
The Prognostic Value of TNI (Tumor-Nutrition-Inflammation Index) in Patients with Advanced Lung Cancer
Authors: Wang Huan , Shi Yuting , Shi Yueli , Cao Mengqing , Zhang Long , Wu Yuan , Xu Yun , Wang Kai , Weng Xianwu
Published: March 2022

Purpose: As the third most common cancer type behind breast cancer and prostate cancer, lung cancer has the highest mortality rate all over the world. Identification of easily accessible and inexpensive potential biomarkers for advanced lung cancer is necessary. Patients and Methods: A total of 195 patients with advanced lung cancer including non-small lung cancer and small cell lung cancer, who received first-line chemotherapy, were included in this study. Then they were randomized as training set and validation set, and the total population were classified as testing set. The optimized cut-off values of AGR and SIRI (AGR=albumin/globulin; SIRI=neutrophil*monocyte/lymphocyte) were determined by survival function analysis based on R software. COX regression analysis was performed to acquire the independent factors for establishing the nomogram model. The predictive accuracy was verified through ROC curve and calibration curves after index concordance.Results: The optimized cut-off values of AGR and SIRI (AGR=albumin/globulin; SIRI=neutrophil*monocyte/lymphocyte) were 1.22 and 1.60, respectively. Cox analysis revealed that liver metastasis, SCC (squamous cell carcinoma antigen), AGR, and SIRI were independent prognostic factors for advanced lung cancer. A nomogram model comprising these independent prognostic parameters was built for the TNI (tumor-nutrition-inflammation index) score calculation. Patients were divided into four groups based on TNI quartile values. Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test indicated that a higher TNI had a worse OS (P<0.05). The C-index and 1-year AUC areas were 0.756 (0.723-0.788) and 75.62, respectively. High consistency between the predicted and actual survival proportions in the TNI model is shown in the calibration curves. A nomogram prognostic model for predicting survival time rates based on TNI in the total population was established to directly observe the survival rate of patients with advanced lung cancer.Conclusion: TNI may be used as a practical and precise analytical tool for survival prediction in patients with advanced lung cancer.
Spleen plays a two-way role in cancer incidence and cancer progression
Authors: Yang Juanjuan , Li Yu , Li Zongfang , Jiang Wei
Published: March 2022

Background:The link between splenectomy and cancer outcomes remains unclear. Our aim was to investigate the association between splenectomy and cancer incidence, cancer progression in cancer patients. Methods:Pooled estimates of the relative risks (RR) for cancer incidence and cancer progression were performed in a meta-analysis by random effects or ﬁxed effects models as appropriate. Results:Eighty-one literatures were included in our meta-analysis. We found some interesting results. First, splenectomy was associated with a signiﬁcantly increased risk of overall cancer, Non Hodgkin lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, lung cancer, leukemia, breast cancer, oral and pharyngeal cancer, skin cancer, esophagus cancer, prostate cancer, bladder cancer, gastric cancer, pancreas cancer, brain and nervous system cancer. Interestingly, splenectomy for trauma increased the risk of liver cancer while splenectomy for protal hypertension decreased the risk of liver cancer. Second, splenectomy was associated with a signiﬁcantly lower 5-year overall survival (OS) for gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, esophageal and esophago‑gastric junction cancer while splenectomy was associated with a signiﬁcantly higher 5-year OS for liver cancer. Subgroup analyses based on tumor stage showed that splenectomy for gastric cancer was associated with a signiﬁcantly lower 5-year OS only for stage Ⅱ and stage Ⅲ but stage Ⅰand stage Ⅳ. Third, splenectomy increased the rate of hospital mortality of gastric cancer but had no effects on the hospital mortality of liver cancer, esophageal and esophago‑gastric junction cancer. Finally, splenectomy increased the incidence of some specific postoperative complications for cancer patients. Conclusions:Splenectomy was associated with cancer incidence, cancer survival, hospital mortality, and postoperative complications. Spleen plays a two-way role in cancer incidence and cancer progression.
Can traditional teaching of Anatomy be replaced by alternative methods?
Authors: Singh Rajani , Jones David Gareth , Pandey Manisha , Yadav Nisha
Published: March 2022

Purpose: There is murmur in the management of medical colleges that traditional teaching of Anatomy is in the process of being replaced by alternative method. Therefore, besides literature survey, a feedback survey has been carried out to seek the viewpoints of students and faculties, through a questionnaire, to compare their viewpoints regarding Anatomy teaching by traditional and alternative methods. Aim of the study is to assess whether traditional teaching of Anatomy can be replaced by alternative methods. Methods: A questionnaire having 17 questions, is designed to seek the feedback from medical students and faculties to assess the degree of need of traditional teaching of Anatomy in relation to comprehending medical subjects and for safe and successful clinical practice. The degree of need of traditional teaching of Anatomy is conceived such that if the mean responses of subjects fall within 9-17, it is most essential and cannot be replaced and if the responses lie within 0-8, it is not essential so can be replaced by alternative methods. The mean viewpoints have been computed and weighted mean is also calculated to compensate differential knowledge and experience of the subjects. Results: Statistical analyses of mean viewpoints and weighted mean viewpoints of 100% medical students and faculties have been found in the range of 10.7±3.3 to 14.5±1.9. The weighted mean of the total population has been computed to be 13.23. Conclusion: The teaching of Anatomy by traditional method is concluded most essential so it cannot be replaced by alternative method.
Genotyping-By-Sequencing Based Investigation of Population Structure and Genome Wide Association Studies for Seven Agronomically Important Traits in a Set of 346 Oryza Rufipogon Accessions
Authors: Malik Palvi , Huang Mao , Neelam Kumari , Bhatia Dharminder , Kaur Ramanjeet , Yadav Bharat , Singh Jasdeep , Sneller Clay , Singh Kuldeep
Published: March 2022

Background
Being one of the most important staple dietary constituents globally, genetic enhancement of cultivated rice for yield, agronomically important traits is of substantial importance. Even though the climatic factors and crop management practices impact complex traits like yield immensely, the contribution of variation by underlying genetic factors surpasses them all. Previous studies have highlighted the importance of utilizing exotic germplasm, landraces in enhancing the diversity of gene pool, leading to better selections and thus superior cultivars. Thus, to fully exploit the potential of progenitor of Asian cultivated rice for productivity related traits, genome wide association study (GWAS) for seven agronomically important traits was conducted on a panel of 346 O. rufipogon accessions using a set of 15,083 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphic markers.
Results
The phenotypic data analysis indicated large continuous variation for all the traits under study, with a significant negative correlation observed between grain parameters and agronomic parameters like plant height, culm thickness. The presence of 74.28% admixtures in the panel as revealed by investigating population structure indicated the panel to be very poorly genetically differentiated, with rapid LD decay. The genome-wide association analyses revealed a total of 47 strong MTAs with 20 SNPs located in/close to previously reported QTL/genic regions providing a positive analytic proof for our studies. The allelic differences of significant MTAs was found to be statistically significant at 34 genomic regions. A total of 51 O. rufipogon accessions harboured combination of superior alleles and thus serve as potential candidates for accelerating rice breeding programs.
Conclusions
The present study identified 27 novel SNPs to be significantly associated with different traits. Allelic differences between cultivated and wild rice at significant MTAs determined superior alleles to be absent at 12 positions implying substantial scope of improvement by their targeted introgression into cultivars. Introgression of novel significant genomic regions into breeder’s pool would broaden the genetic base of cultivated rice, thus making the crop more resilient.
Factors Associated With Community Commitment Among Older Adults: a Stratified Analysis of Community Group Leaders and Members
Authors: Taguchi Hina , Tadaka Etsuko , Iwata Yuka , Arimoto Azusa
Published: March 2022

BackgroundCommunity commitment through group activities in the community is associated with improved health outcomes in older adults and has a ripple effect on community development. However, factors associated with community commitment through group activities in the community have not been examined. The purpose of this study was to examine individual-related factors and group-related factors with community commitment among older adult leaders and members of community groups in Japan.MethodsWe mailed self-administered questionnaires to all older adults participating in a community group (N=2,500) in a ward of Yokohama City, the largest designated city in Japan. Variables included demographic characteristics, community commitment (Community Commitment Scale), individual factors, and group-related factors. We used logistic regression analysis to assess the association among study variables. ResultsA total of 1,154 people completed the questionnaire. The valid response rate was 37.0%. Factors associated with community commitment among group leaders were scores for self-efficacy for health promotion scale (SF-15; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00–1.20), 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (95% CI: 1.02–1.39), and Lubben Social Network Scale, Japanese version (95% CI: 1.04–1.33), as well as a perception of deriving pleasure from group participation (95% CI: 1.02–1.18). Factors associated with community commitment among group members were economic status (95% CI: 0.36–0.83), frequency of going outside (95% CI: 1.02–1.19), years of group participation (95% CI: 1.00−1.06), and perceptions of their role in the group (95% CI: 1.07–1.96) as well as the above factors for leaders. A supplementary qualitative analysis of participants’ free-text responses extracted seven categories, consisting of partnerships, resource mobilization, linkages and networking, community support, asset management, participatory decision-making and community dissemination, related to perception of role in the group.ConclusionOur results emphasize the importance of considering the different associations of community commitment through group activities in the community between group leaders and members, including the role of older adults in community groups, and suggest different approaches for group leaders and members.
Musculoskeletal Modelling And Simulation Of Oil Palm Fresh Fruit Bunch Harvesting
Authors: Chan Yon Sin , Teo Yu Xuan , Gouwanda Darwin , Nurzaman Surya Girinatha , Gopalai Alpha Agape , Thannirmalai Subbiah
Published: March 2022

This study aims to create and evaluate an upper extremity musculoskeletal model of the oil palm harvesting motion and assess the Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD) risk of this activity. Tests were conducted on six harvesters at a Malaysia oil palm plantation. Six Inertial Measurement Units (IMU) and Surface Electromyography (sEMG) were used to collect kinematics of the back, shoulder and elbow joints and measure the muscle activations of longissimus, multifidus, biceps and triceps. A musculoskeletal model was constructed and simulated using the IMU data. The results were benchmarked against the commercial motion capture tool and sEMG. It was found that joint angle had the maximum coefficient of correlation (R) of 0.99 and minimum Root Mean Square Error of 1.84°, whereas muscle activation had the maximum R of 0.87 and minimum Mean Absolute Error of 0.10. This study showed that the longissimus was more actively used than multifidus, and the biceps was another primary muscle relied on during harvesting. The harvesters faced a higher risk of MSD while performing back flexion, back rotation, shoulder flexion and elbow flexion. Lastly, it demonstrated the feasibility of the musculoskeletal modelling and simulation to further investigate the upper extremity joints and muscles during harvesting.
Tumor cytokine profile of renal cell carcinoma patients
Authors: Lee Moon Hee , Laajala Essi , Kreutzman Anna , Järvinen Petrus , Nísen Harry , Mirtti Tuomas , Hollmén Maija , Mustjoki Satu
Published: March 2022

PurposeRenal cell carcinoma (RCC) accounts for 90% of all renal cancers and is considered highly immunogenic. Although many studies have reported the circulating peripheral cytokine profiles, the signatures between the tumor tissue and matching healthy adjacent renal tissue counterparts have not been explored. We aimed to comprehensively investigate the cytokine landscape of RCC tumors and its correlation between the amount and phenotype of the tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs).Experimental Design We analyzed the secretion of 42 cytokines from the tumor (n=50) and adjacent healthy kidney tissues (n=24) with a Luminex-based assay. We further explored the differences between the tissue types, as well as correlated the findings with clinical data and detailed immunophenotyping of the TILs. ResultsUsing an unsupervised clustering approach, we observed distinct differences in the cytokine profiles between the tumor and adjacent renal tissue samples. The tumor samples clustered into three distinct profiles based on the cytokine expressions: high (53.2% of the tumors), intermediate (25.5%), and low (21.3%). Most of the tumor cytokines positively correlated with each other, except for IL-8 that showed no correlation with any of the measured cytokine expressions. Furthermore, the quantity of lymphocytes in the tumor samples analyzed with flow cytometry positively correlated with the chemokine-family of cytokines, IP-10 and MIG. Positive correlations were also observed between CD4+, CD8+ T cell PD-1 expressions and IL-8, suggesting a suppressive role of the chemotactic cytokine, even in T cell inflamed tumors. ConclusionsOur study highlights the distinct cytokine profiles in RCC and provides insights to potential biomarkers for the treatment of RCC.
DNA Methylation May Affect Beef Tenderness Through Signal Transduction in Bos Indicus
Authors: de Souza Marcela , Niciura Simone Cristina Méo , Rocha Marina Ibelli Pereira , Pan Zhangyuan , Zhou Huaijun , Bruscadin Jennifer Jessica , Diniz Wellison Jarles Silva , Afonso Juliana , de Oliveira Priscila Silva Neubern , Mourão Gerson B. , Zerlotini Adhemar , Coutinho Luiz Lehmann , Koltes James E. , Regitano Luciana Correia Almeida
Published: March 2022

Background
Beef tenderness is a complex trait of economic importance for the beef industry. Understanding the epigenetic mechanisms underlying this trait may help improve the accuracy of breeding programs. However, little is known about epigenetic effects on Bos taurus muscle and their implications in tenderness, and no studies have been conducted in Bos indicus.
Results
Comparing methylation profile of Bos indicus skeletal muscle with contrasting beef tenderness at 7 days after slaughter, we identified differentially methylated cytosines and regions associated with this trait. Interestingly, muscle that became tender beef had higher levels of hypermethylation compared to the tough group. Enrichment analysis of predicted target genes suggested that differences in methylation between tender and tough beef may affect signal transduction pathways, among which G protein signaling was a key pathway. In addition, different methylation levels were found associated with expression levels of GNAS, PDE4B, EPCAM and EBF3 genes. The differentially methylated elements correlated with EBF3 and GNAS genes overlapped CpG islands and regulatory elements. GNAS, a complex imprinted gene, has a key role on G protein signaling pathways. Moreover, both G protein signaling pathway and the EBF3 gene regulate muscle homeostasis, relaxation, and muscle cell-specificity.
Conclusion
We present differentially methylated loci that may be of interest to decipher the epigenetic mechanisms affecting tenderness. Supported by the previous knowledge about regulatory elements and gene function, the methylation data suggests EBF3 and GNAS as potential candidate genes and G protein signaling as potential candidate pathway associated with beef tenderness via methylation.
Tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate electrolyte as poly(vinyl chloride-co-vinyl acetate-co-2-hydroxypropyl acrylate) plasticizer: Thermal degradation and optical characteristics
Authors: Elmahdy Mahdy M. , Ahmed Moustafa. T. , Aldhafeeri Khalid A. , Azzam Maged A , Fahmy Tarek
Published: March 2022

Casting method was employed to prepare films of poly(vinyl chloride-co-vinyl acetate-co-2-hydroxypropyl acrylate) (PVVH) copolymer doped with different concentrations of tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate ([TBA][BF4]) electrolyte. The interaction between copolymer and electrolyte was clearly evident in the reduction of FTIR peaks intensity at 1666 and 1729 cm-1 with increasing electrolyte concentration. This reduction was related to the deacetylation of PVVH by the electrolyte. Effect of deacetylation was also visible in the reduction of DTG/DTA peak temperature (Tp) of the second stage of the composites. The reduction of DSC glass transition temperature (Tg) from 344 K to 310 with increasing electrolyte content was another evidence of the deacetylation effect that reduces the inter- and intramolecular interaction maintaining flexibility of PVVH copolymer backbone to bend and slide more readily. Based on the aforementioned results, one can assume that [TBA][BF4] electrolyte acts as an external plasticizer for PVVH that is internally plasticized by random copolymerization of vinyl chloride (VC) with vinyl acetate (VAc) and 2-hydroxypropyl acrylate (2HPA) to reduce the Tg of VC from 355 to 344 K. Another reduction was observed in the optical energy gap (Eg) with increasing the electrolyte content. Linear and nonlinear optical parameters were estimated and discussed in terms of the single oscillator model. Besides, the optical conductivity (σop) and dielectric constant of all samples were investigated.