bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On a Greedy Approach for Genome Scaffolding
Authors: Davot Tom , Chateau Annie , Fossé Rohan , Giroudeau Rodolphe , Weller Mathias
Published: April 2021

Background: Scaffolding is a bioinformatics problem aimed at completing the contig assembly process by determining the relative position and orientation of these contigs. It can be seen as a paths and cycles cover problem of a particular graph called the “scaffold graph”.Results: We provide some NP-hardness and inapproximability results on this problem. We also adapt a greedy approximation algorithm on complete graphs so that it works on a special class aiming to be close to real instances. The described algorithm is the first polynomial-time approximation algorithm designed for this problem on non-complete graphs.Conclusion: Tests on a set of simulated instances show that our algorithm provides better results than the version on complete graphs.
Benzoate, Gallate, And Salicylate Regulate Redox-Enzymes, Ultrastructure, And Accumulation of Boron To Counteract Boron Toxicity On Tomato Callus Cells
Authors: Radi Abeer A , Salam Hussein Kh , Hamada Afaf , Farghaly Fatma A
Published: April 2021

The participation of benzoate (BA), gallate (GA), and salicylate (SA) in various biochemical and physiological processes in plants under conditions of excessive boron (EB) is largely unknown to date. Here, the relationships between phenolic acids (PAs) and the regulation of redox-enzymes, the ultrastructure of cells, and boron forms in the mitigation of EB-induced oxidative stress within tomato calli were studied. Tomato calli were exposed to 2 mM boron (B) in the presence or absence of three concentrations of benzoate, gallate, and salicylate. The data showed that different concentrations of PA counteracted the inhibition of growth and oxidative stress of EB stress by reducing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production, lipoxygenase (LOX) activity, boron accumulation forms, cell wall thickening, and moderate concentrations were the most effective. Applications of PAs reduced the catalytic impacts of EB on superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity. Likewise, benzoate and gallate increased the influences of EB stimulation on peroxidase (POD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities; whereas, SA reduced these effects on both enzymes. PA treatments enhanced the insignificant catalytic effect of EB on the activity of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), as well as the stimulation of the negative influence of EB on polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity. The findings highlight that PAs play an important role in alleviating EB stress in tomato plants by regulating redox enzymes, B-accumulation forms, and cell wall thickening. This study provides new perspectives for strategies related to excess boron tolerance in tomato plants and thus can be used as plant growth promoters.
Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis and Machine learning Identify Critical Genes in the Development of Osteomyelitis after Staphylococcus aureus Infections
Authors: Chen Baixing , Li Shaoshuo , Lu Zhaoqi , Huang Mingling , Lin Shi , Dong Hang
Published: April 2021

Background: Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is the most common pathogen that causes osteomyelitis (OM). However, OM's pathogenesis, which is not clear, involves many factors such as environment, genetics and immunity dysregulation. This study aims to explore the key genes involved in the pathogenesis and development of OM following S. aureus infection. Methods: After obtaining the datasets of GSE6269 and GSE16129, we performed weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to find clusters modules of highly correlated genes and recursive feature elimination (RFE) method to narrow the range of feature genes. For determining the effect of feature genes, we constructed a random forest (RF) model with feature genes and validated the predictive validity of the RF model using independent data from GSE11908. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network identifies essential proteins that contributed to OM development. Results: There were 12,401 genes from 77 samples that 48 S. aureus patients developed to OM and 29 of those without OM. We divided 31 significant gene modules into different modules, and the brown module signiﬁcantly related to OM. Biological Functions of the brown module mainly enriched in the inflammatory response, metabolic, cancer, viral pathways, protein binding and RNA binding. After screening, 19 genes, including CYP2E1, BBS10, ARPC5L, GAPVD1, PURA, RBMS1, BTN2A2, EXOSC8, METTL8, FYCO1, KHK, PRPF38B, CD72, C2CD5, ABHD6, CD200, FAM53C, HCP5 and ELP1, were defined as feature genes for constructing RF model. After validating the external data, the average area under the curve was 85%, and the accuracy of the RF model was 85.7%. The protein function of modules enriched in the RNA exosome complex's catalytic component and regulation of actin polymerization. Conclusions: This study aimed to identify related genes involved in the occurrence and development of OM. We constructed the RF model with 19 genes, which effectively classify the patients with OM or non-OM. Despite its limitations, the study certainly adds to our understanding of OM's pathogenesis, and therefore, has significant implications for potential therapeutic targets and the predicted value of OM.
Influence Of Geographical Area And Living Setting On Weight Status, Gross Motor Coordination And Physical Activity Level Of Italian School Children: The Neighbourhood Walkability Approach
Authors: Gallotta Maria Chiara , Zimatore Giovanna , Falcioni Lavinia , Migliaccio Silvia , Lanza Massimo , Schena Federico , Biino Valentina , Giuriato Matteo , Bellafiore Marianna , Palma Antonio , Battaglia Giuseppe , Guidetti Laura , Baldari Carlo
Published: April 2021

Background: The prevalence of overweight and obesity in childhood is increasing at an alarming rate worldwide, particularly in industrialized countries. Walkability measurements can be collected using the free open software Walk Score® that permit the measure of estimating neighbourhood walkability in many geographic locations. This study was aimed i) to investigate whether differences between rural and urban settings in the North, Centre and South of Italy could influence body-weight status, motor competence and physical activity (PA) level in school-age children; ii) to analyse the walkability of different school areas, and iii) to examine the relationship of motor competence, PA level, geographical areas, living setting, and neighbourhood walkability with children’s body-weight status. Methods: We assessed anthropometric parameters, gross motor coordination and PA level in 1549 children aged between 8 and 13 year. Three geographical areas (North, Centre, South of Italy), two settings (urban and rural) and neighbourhoods’ walkability (Walk Score®) were considered in the analysis. Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 22.0% and 9.9%, respectively; 47.9% of the total sample showed motor impairments and 29.0% was inactive. Central children had higher BMI than Northern and Southern children. Northern children showed the highest MQ and PA level, followed by Southern and Central children. Children from the South of Italy attended schools located in neighbourhoods with the highest Walk Score®. Urban children attended schools located in neighbourhoods with a higher Walk Score® than rural children. Lower MQ, lower PA level, living in rural setting and in a car-dependent neighbourhood were associated with a higher relative risk for obesity. Being a girl was associated with a lower relative risk for obesity.Conclusions: The alarming high percentage of overweight and obesity in children as well as motor coordination impairments revealed the urgent need of targeted PA interventions in paediatric population.
Treatment patterns and Outcomes of Elderly Patients with Potentially Curable Esophageal Cancer
Authors: Yang Yang , Chen Mengyuan , Xie Jiping , Ji Yongling , Sheng Liming , Qiu Guoqin , Du Xianghui , Wei Qichun
Published: April 2021

Background: The proportion of elderly patients with esophageal cancer (EC) is increasing due to prolonged life expectancy and aging process. However, the optimal treatment strategy for elderly patients (aged ≥70 years) with EC remains controversial.Methods: Eligible patients with cT1b-4aNxM0 EC were identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database from 2010 to 2016. Treatment patterns were divided into five groups: surgical resection (S), chemoradiotherapy (CRT), radiotherapy (RT), chemotherapy (CT), or observation with no treatment (Obs). Survival between groups was compared using the log-rank test, and the Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify factors associated with overall survival (OS).Results: A total of 3233 patients with potentially curable EC were identified. Of all the patients included, 29.1%, 48.2%, 8.7%, and 3.5% received S, CRT, RT, and CT, respectively, whereas 10.5% underwent Obs. The 3-year OS estimates were 45.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 42.2–49.8%), 26.1% (95% CI: 23.5–28.9%), 12.2% (95% CI: 8.4–17.8%), 14.9% (95% CI: 8.4–26.4%), and 6.7% (95% CI: 4.0–11.0%) for S, CRT, RT, CT, and Obs (p<0.001), respectively. However, the survival benefits of surgery over CRT gradually weakened with the increase in age, and the survival benefit of surgery was statistically non-significant for EC patients aged ≥80 years (p=0.41). Multivariate analysis showed that treatment patterns, age, tumor grade, T stage, N stage, and marital status were significantly associated with OS.Conclusion: Generally, the use of surgery was associated with the longest OS, and CRT was superior to RT or CT alone in elderly patients with curable EC. For patients intolerable to surgery or aged ≥80 years, definitive CRT should be considered as a preferable option. The optimal treatment strategy for elderly patients with EC should consider comprehensive geriatric assessment, survival benefit, and patient preference in a multidisciplinary setting.
Variations of Phyllosphere and Rhizosphere Microbial Communities of Pinus Koraiensis Infected by Bursaphelenchus Xylophilus
Authors: Deng Jiaojiao , Yu Dapao , Zhou Wangming , Zhu Wenxu , Zhou Li
Published: April 2021

Pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, as one of the greatest threats to pine trees, is spreading all over the world. During the nematode’s pathogenesis, plant microorganisms play important roles.The phyllosphere and rhizosphere bacterial and fungal communities associated with healthy P. koraiensis (PKa) and P. koraiensis infected by B. xylophilus at the early (PKb) and last (PKc) stages were analyzed. Pine wood nematode (PWD) could increase the phyllosphere and rhizosphere microbial community diversity, and slight shifts of the microbial diversity were observed at the early stage of infection. Generally speaking, an increase in microbial diversity with more serious symptomatic phase was obvious and visible. The phyllosphere and rhizosphere microbial community potentially changed caused by B. xylophilus infection of P. koraiensis. With the infection of B. xylophilus in P. koraiensis, Bradyrhizobium (rhizosphere bacteria), Massilia (phyllosphere bacteria), Phaeosphaeriaceae (rhizosphere fungi) were the major contributors to the differences in community compositions among different treatments. With the infection of PWD, most of the bacterial groups tended to be co-excluding rather than co-occurring. These changes would correlate with microbial ability to suppress plant pathogen, enhancing the understanding of disease development and providing guidelines to pave the way for its possible management.
Vitamin D Role in Chronic Dacryocystitis
Authors: Valentín-Bravo Francisco Javier , Onrubia Luis García , Pacheco-Callirgos Gabriela Estefanía , Asensio-Sánchez Victor Manuel
Published: April 2021

Introduction: Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with dry eye disease or Sjogren's syndrome. Due to the anti-inflammatory role of vitamin D in eye diseases, it has been proposed to study the role of this vitamin in chronic dacryocystitis, which is an infectious and inflammatory process affecting the nasolacrimal system. Objective: Determine the association between vitamin D levels with the presence of chronic dacryocystititis.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive observational study analyzed a sample of 40 individuals, of whom had been diagnosed with chronic dacryocystitis. Biochemical tests for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (vitamin D) were subjected to the entire sample. The difference in the means was calculated using the T-test for associated data. The reference significance value was 0.05.Results: Chronic dacryocystitis commonly occurs in the age group of 51 to 67 years. Women were more vulnerable to infection than men. No association was found between the presence of chronic dacriocystitis and vitamin D levels (p-0.755). It is recommended to use larger cohorts as well as multicenter studies evaluating this association, such as supplemental use of vitamin D on a large scale.Conclusions: Low vitamin D levels are not associated with the presence of chronic dacriocystitis.
In vitro and in vivo evaluation of cytotoxic effect of targeted agents alone or in combination with chemotherapy for the treatment of adenoid cystic carcinoma
Authors: Savarese Teresa , Abate Andrea , Basnet Ram Manohar , Lorini Luigi , Gurizzan Cristina , Tomasoni Michele , Lombardi Davide , Tomasini Davide , Zizioli Daniela , Memo Maurizio , Berruti Alfredo , Bonini Sara Anna , Sigala Sandra , Bossi Paolo
Published: April 2021

Purpose

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a rare malignancy characterized by high incidence of relapse. When relapsing, ACC has an indolent but relentless behaviour, thus leading to a poor long-term prognosis. The treatment of choice of relapsing ACC remains surgery followed by radiotherapy, whenever feasible. Therapeutic weapons are limited to systemic drugs. The most widely used chemotherapy regimen is the combination of cisplatin and doxorubicin, however with low response rate and not long lasting; there is also a lack of alternatives for second line therapies in case of disease progression. Therefore, a more comprehensive strategy aimed at identifying at preclinical level the most promising drugs or combination is clearly needed.
Methods

In this study, the cytotoxic effects of two standard chemotherapy drugs, cisplatin and doxorubicin, and of five targeted therapy-drugs was tested in vitro, on an h-TERT immortalized ACC cell line. The same drugs were also tested in vivo, on zebrafish embryos with ACC tumoral cell xenograft. Then, combinations of one standard chemotherapy drug plus one targeted therapy drug were also evaluated, in order to find the best treatment strategy for ACC.
Results

Data obtained demonstrated that both vorinostat and olaparib significantly increased the standard chemotherapy cytotoxic effects, suggesting new interesting therapeutic options for ACC.
Conclusion

Data obtained in the present study provide valid new therapeutic strategies for ACC to be translated in a prospective clinical trial.
Allograft Fibula Combined with Cannulated Screw for Femoral Head Necrosis: A Finite Element Analysis
Authors: Zhao Gan , Liu Ming , Li Bin , Lin Tianye , Xu JingLi , Sun Haizhong , Biaofang Wei
Published: April 2021

Background: Osteonecrosis of femoral head (ONFH) is characterized by high incidence and disability. Allograft fibula combined with cannulated screw has been extensively applied for treating Osteonecrosis of femoral head. However, its biomechanical outcomes remain unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the optimal placement of the allograft fibula and cannulated screw for treating ONFH.Methods: Two types (C1 and C2) of NONFH finite element models were built based on a healthy subject and the Japanese Investigation Committee (JIC) classification system. The allograft fibula combined with cannulated screw was simulated in the respective type of the model. Different models were built by complying with the different positions of allograft fibula and cannulated screw (below model, posteriorly below model, anteriorly below model and anteriorly above model). Furthermore, a comparison was drawn on the maximum stress value and the mean stress value of the subchondral cortical bone of femoral head weight-bearing area.Results: As indicated from the finite element analysis, normal femoral head, necrotic femoral head and postoperative femoral head achieved the different maximum stress values, and the maximum stress value achieved by necrotic femoral head significantly reached over that of normal femoral head. After the operation, the maximum stress value of subchondral cortical bone in the weight-bearing area of the femoral head was noticeably down-regulated compared with that before the operation (necrotic femoral head). When the cannulated screw was directly below the fibula, subchondral cortical bone in the weight bearing area of femoral head achieved the smallest maximum stress value and average stress value, which showed a statistical difference from those of other models (P<0.05).Conclusion: Allograft fibula combined with cannulated screw is capable of significantly reducing the stress of subchondral cortical bone in the weight-bearing area of the ONFH femoral head, as well as down-regulating the stress concentration in the ONFH weight-bearing area. For JIC C1 and C2 osteonecrosis of the femoral head, when administrated with allograft fibula combined with cannulated screw, the optimal biomechanics was the cannulated screw located just directly below the fibula.
Broadband Radar Invisibility with Time-Dependent Metasurfaces
Authors: Kozlov Vitali , Vovchuk Dmytro , Ginzburg Pavel
Published: April 2021

Concealing objects from interrogation has been a primary objective since the integration of radars into surveillance systems. Metamaterial-based invisibility cloaking, which was considered a promising solution, did not yet succeed in delivering reliable performance against real radar systems, mainly due to its narrow operational bandwidth. Here we propose an approach, which addresses the issue from a signal-processing standpoint and, as a result, is capable of coping with the vast majority of unclassified radar systems by exploiting vulnerabilities in their design. In particular, we demonstrate complete concealment of a 0.25 square meter moving metal plate from an investigating radar system, operating in a broad frequency range approaching 20% bandwidth around the carrier of 1.5GHz. The key element of the radar countermeasure is a temporally modulated coating. This auxiliary structure is designed to dynamically and controllably adjust the reflected phase of the impinging radar signal, which acquires a user-defined Doppler shift. A special case of interest is imposing a frequency shift that compensates for the real Doppler signatures originating from the motion of the target. In this case the radar will consider the target static, even though it is moving. As a result, the reflected echo will be discarded by the clutter removal filter, which is an inherent part of any modern radar system that is designed to operate in real conditions. This signal-processing loophole allows rendering the target invisible to the radar even though it scatters electromagnetic radiation.
New Insights Into the Promising Antibacterial Activity of Thiophene or Chromene Moiety Containing Aryl Sulfonamide
Authors: Kumar Ajay , Prakash Om , Vivekanand  , Saxena M.K. , Kasana Virendra , Rathore Sanjeev , Singh Satyendra
Published: April 2021

Background: Aryl sulfonamides bearing thiophene and chromene moieties have been reviewed for their antibacterial activity and their synthetic methods. Heterocyclic moiety containing aryl sulfonamide compounds are dispersed in nature and are crucial for life. Diverse investigational strategies towards a structural relationship that cognizance upon the exploration of optimized candidates have grown to be extremely crucial.Method: Literature research tells that for a series of thiophene or chromene moiety containing aryl sulfonamide compoundsare vital in medicinal and industrial chemistry.Aryl sulfonamidescontainingheterocyclic moieties display pharmacological activities against pathogenic microbes.Result:Recent various disciplinary reported articles had been cited in this review article to define the potentialantibacterial properties of thiophene-arylsulfonamide and chromene-arylsulfonamide. Conclusion: The finding of this review confirms the importance of aryl sulfonamidescontaining thiophene or chromene moiety as potential antibacterial agents. These final resultswill give ideasto the synthesis and developmentof reactions leading to the potential derivativesfor betterpharmacological applications.
Effect of Particle Shape on the Deformation and Stress Reduction of a Gravel Soil Due to Wetting
Authors: Mahinroosta Reza , Oshtaghi Vahid
Published: April 2021

In this paper, the effect of particle shape is investigated on the stress reduction and collapse deformation of gravelly soil using medium-scale direct shear test apparatus under different relative densities, normal stress, and shear stress levels. The Micro-Deval test was used to produce sub-angular particles from angular particles with continuous smoothening of the corners of the particles. Two series of soil specimens were obtained with the same rock type, particle size distribution, and relative density but different particle shapes. In addition to traditional direct shear tests on dry and wet specimens, a specific test procedure was applied to explore the stress reduction and collapse of soil specimens due to wetting. For instance, dry soil specimens under several normal pressure were subjected to shear loading while inundated at several levels of shear stresses. The results showed that the stress reduction and settlement due to wetting increased with vertical and shear stress level in both types of particle shapes, with higher values in angular particle shapes. The wetting of the samples had more impact on the particle breakage in angular gravel than sub-angular gravel, which increased linearly with the normal stress.
To Design a Human Pbpk Model to Evaluate Cadmium Exposure Through Shellfish Consumption in Taiwan
Authors: Ku Hao-Hsiang , Tien Pham Thi , Ling Min-Pei
Published: April 2021

This study uses a physiology-based pharmacokinetic model to predict Cadmium (Cd) concentrations in urine and blood through shellfish consumers. The main purpose focus on assessment of human health risk to Cd through exposure via shellfish in Taiwan. A Hill-based dose-response model is utilized to estimate renal dysfunction and peripheral arterial disease risks in humans after long-term exposure. Sensitivity analyses and Monte Carlo simulations are implemented to support the risk assessment of cadmium in humans. Results indicate that glomerular and tubular damage (GTD) is different between group ages and genders ranged from 17.8067% - 17.8072%, respectively. Results show that the peripheral arterial disease prevalence (PADP) ranges from 3.2505% - 4.5968% in male and ranges from 4.7168% - 7.0152% in female, respectively. The study concludes that Cd dietary consumption is very low, for males and for females in the different age groups. This study provides a foundation that can resolve the risk dose-dependency of Cd hazard.
Investigation of Photocatalytic Activity of TiO2 Nanoparticles Synthesized By Sol-Gel Technique
Authors: Gedam R. S. , Sukhadeve G. K. , Janbandhu S.Y. , Upadhyay S.
Published: April 2021

Anatase phase TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by sol-gel method using titanium(IV) butoxide as a starting material. The pH of solution was maintained by adding HNO3 and NaOH. The obtained powder was heat treated at 350̊ C for 2 hours. The XRD study shows that the crystalline size and crystalinity of samples increases with pH of solution. Raman spectra confirm the dominance of anatase phase of TiO2. Morphology study of samples was done by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The size of prepared samples was calculated by XRD and confirmed by TEM analysis. The energy band gap was calculated by optical absorption spectra and it was found to decrease by increasing pH of the solution. The photodegration activity of IC dye under visible light irradiation was carried out by synthesized TiO2 Nanoparticles.
Exploration of Optimal Reconstruction Parameters for 18F-FDG Total-body PET/CT with Ultra-low Activity Injection
Authors: Sui Xiuli , Tan Hui , Yu Haojun , Zhang Yiqiu , Hu Pengcheng , Xiao Jie , Qi Chi , Cheng Yuan , Shi Dai , Shi Hongcheng
Published: April 2021

PURPOSE To explorer the optimal reconstruction parameters in oncologic 18 F-FDG total-body PET/CT studies with ultra-low activity injection. METHODS A total of 204 reconstructed PET images of 34 patients with a total of 58 lesions were analyzed by two experienced nuclear medicine physicians. Images were reconstructed with ordered subset expectation maximization (OSEM) algorithm (2 and 3 iterations) including time-of-flight (TOF) and point spread function (PSF) corrections and regularization ordered subset expectation maximization (ROSEM) (b-values of 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, and 0.6). General image quality was assessed using the five-point method including overall image quality, image clarity, noise, and lesion conspicuity. Image noise, signal-to-noise ratio, lesion size, SUVmax, SUVpeak and T/N were quantitatively analyzed by the third reader who did not participate in subjective image assessment. RESULTS In objective image quality indicators, noise decreased and a continuous increase of SNR with incremental β-values (0.3,0.4, 0.5 and 0.6) compared with OSEM3. In subjective image quality, OSEM2, ROSEM0.5 and ROSEM0.6 scored higher (all P<0.001) in overall image quality, image contrast and noise. The scores of ROSEM reconstructions were all higher in lesion conspicuity compared with OSEM3 (all P<0.001). In lesion detectability, SUVmax, SUVpeak and T/N increase with β value of ROSEM increase. Compared with OSEM3, there was a negative correlation between lesion size and the percentage increase of SUVpeak in OSEM2 and ROSEM reconstructions (all P<0.01). CONCLUSION In clinical practice, we recommended OSEM reconstruction with 3 iterations with a relatively short reconstruction time and we recommend ROSEM algorithm with b of 0.5 when reconstruction time is not considered.
Modeling and Designing of a Compact Single Band PIFA Antenna for Wireless Application using Artificial Neural Network
Authors: Sellak Lahcen , Aguni Lahcen , Chabaa Samira , Ibnyaich Saida , Zeroual Abdelouhab , Baddou Atmane
Published: April 2021

In this paper, we are interested to design a compact single band PIFA antenna using the artificial neural networks (ANN) based on the multilayer perceptrons (MLP). The designed antenna will operate at the frequency 2.45 GHz for ISM (Industrial, Scientific and Medical) band, the medical field, the mobile phone,the Wi-Fi and the Bluetooth. The absence of mathematical models that takes into account all the parameters that affect the characteristics of these antennas present a difficulty in the design of this type of antennas. In this paper, our main contribution is the development of a synthesis and analysis model for PIFA antenna based on the artificial neural network method. For this reasons, we have developed a model of the neural network based on the multilayer perceptron to predict the resonance frequency and the bandwidth of a single band PIFA antenna. By applying the same method, we managed to find a multilayer perceptron structure that can accurately predict the dimensions of the PIFA single band antenna. Using the HFSS software, we designed the single band PIFA antenna that can operate at the frequency 2.45 GHz and presents a bandwidth at -10dB equal 1.0552 GHz, a good reflection coefficient ( −51 dB), the gain is 6.5867 dB.
Development of Organic Briquettes From Slaughterhouse Waste as Nutrient Source for Plant Growth
Authors: J ARUN SANKAR K , Vasudevan V N , Sunil B , Latha A , A Irshad , K Deepak Mathew D. , Saifudeen Safeer M
Published: April 2021

A study was conducted to develop organic briquettes using biomass originating from slaughterhouse wastes and to investigate its potential as a nutrient source for plant growth. Dried rumen contents were mixed with fresh blood collected after bleeding of animals in different proportions and dried using tray drier. The dried rumen content-blood (RB) mixture was further mixed with commercially available coir pith in 12 different proportions. The rumen content-blood-coir pith (RBC) mixture was formed into briquettes using a hydraulic biomass briquetting machine. Each organic briquette was five cm in diameter and had an average weight of 30-40 grams. The treatments were analyzed for pH, moisture, electrical conductivity (EC), organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen, carbon: nitrogen ratio, total phosphorus and total potassium. Organic briquette having rumen content with 100 per cent blood and 80 per cent coir pith (T 10 ) recorded the highest total nitrogen, total phosphorus and total potassium content. The treatments for plant growth studies were selected based on the criteria that each treatment had highest values for at least two of the three primary nutrients of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The treatments T 5 , T 7 , T 8 , T 10 and T 12 were selected for plant growth studies. Pot experiment using selected briquettes was carried out to determine the effect of selected briquettes on growth parameters and yield attributes of okra ( Abelmoschus esculentus ). Nutrient release pattern of the selected organic briquettes was also studied. The best desirable growth parameters and yield attributes of okra was observed in T 10 . Availability of nutrients in the medium were relatively less during first two months of planting (MAP), however, it significantly increased between 3 MAP and 4 MAP, which resulted in better plant growth and fruit yield. The study showed that there is great potential for development of organic briquettes using slaughter house wastes as an eco-friendly process, which are compact, easy to transport and market, and ideal for grow bag cultivation and garden nurseries
CYP2C19*2 genetic polymorphism and incidence of in-stent restenosis in patients on clopidogrel: A matched case-control study
Authors: Osama Sara , Wirth Francesca , Zahra Graziella , Barbara Christopher , Xuereb Robert G , Camilleri Liberato , Azzopardi Lilian M
Published: April 2021

Background: The cytochrome P450 2C19 *2 ( CYP2C19*2 ) genetic polymorphism is associated with reduced clopidogrel bioactivation, increasing the risk of atherothrombotic complications after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In-stent restenosis (ISR) is a complication that limits the long-term prognosis of PCI. Objective: To investigate the association between CYP2C19*2 and ISR within one-year after PCI in patients prescribed dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with aspirin and clopidogrel Setting: Acute general hospital, Malta Main outcome measure: Association between CYP2C19*2 and drug-eluting stent (DES)-ISR within one-year post-PCI in patients on DAPT with aspirin and clopidogrel Method: Sixty patients with angiographically-confirmed DES-ISR within one year when on DAPT with aspirin and clopidogrel were retrospectively identified (cases) and 60 patients with no documented ISR post-PCI in the study period (controls) were case-matched for age, gender, diabetes and estimated glomerular filtration rate value. Cases and controls were invited by cardiologists for CYP2C19*2 genotyping. The association between CYP2C19*2 and ISR was analysed using the Fisher’s Exact test and binary logistic regression. Results: Twenty-six (43.3%) cases and 5 (8.3%) controls were carriers of CYP2C19*2 , while 34 (56.7%) cases and 55 (91.7%) controls were non-carriers of CYP2C19*2 . The association between CYP2C19*2 carrier status and DES-ISR within one-year post-PCI was statistically significant (p<0.001) in both the univariate and multivariate analysis. Conclusion : The proportion of CYP2C19*2 carriers who presented with DES-ISR within one-year post-PCI while on clopidogrel was significantly higher compared to patients with no documented ISR.
Effect of α-Tocopheryloxy Acetic Acid, a Vitamin E Derivative Mitocan, on the Experimental Infection of Mice with Plasmodium Yoelii
Authors: Kawamura Kasumi , Kume Aiko , Umemiya-Shirafuji Rika , Kasai Shunji , Suzuki Hiroshi
Published: April 2021

Background: Malaria parasites are known to be vulnerable to oxidative stress. In this study, we examined the effects of α-tocopheryloxy acetic acid (α-TEA), which is a vitamin E analogue mitocan, administration on Plasmodium yoelii infection in mice. Methods: Alpha-TEA was mixed with diet and fed to C57BL/6J mice before and/or after infection. For parasite infection, 4 × 104 P. yoelii 17XL-infected red blood cells were inoculated by intraperitoneal injection. In another series of experiment, the effect of the oral administration of α-TEA on P. yoelii 17XL infection in mice was examined. Finally, the combined effect of α-TEA and dihydroartemisinin or chloroquine on P. yoelii 17XL infection was examined.Results: When 0.25% α-TEA was mixed with the diet for 7 days before infection and 14 days after infection (in total for 21 days), for 14 days after infection, and for 11 days from the third day after infection, all P. yoelii 17XL-infected mice survived during the observation period. However, all control mice died within 12 days after infection. These results indicated that α-TEA functions effectively even when administered post-infection. The oral administration of α-TEA for P. yoelii 17XL infection was also significant. Although the infected mice in the solvent control died within 10 days after infection, 90% of the mice infected with P. yoelii 17XL survived during the observation period when treated with 10 mg/head/day of α-TEA for 3 days from day 3 after infection. Although the combined effect of α-TEA and dihydroartemisinin (DHA) or chloroquine on P. yoelii 17XL infection was significant, no synergistic or additive effects were observed from the survival curve. Conclusions: This study showed the beneficial effects of α-TEA on the experimental infection of mice with P. yoelii 17XL. The stimulatory action of α-TEA on mitochondria and the accompanying reactions, such as reactive oxygen species production, and induction of apoptosis might have some effect on malarial infection.
Divergence and Curl of COVID19 Spreading in Lower Peninsula of Michigan
Authors: Wang Yanshuo
Published: April 2021

Divergence and Curl concept in vector field is applied to the COVID19 spreading data for Lower Peninsula of Michigan State, U.S.A. The Divergence is an operator of COVID19 transmission vector field, which produces a scalar field giving the quantity of transmission vector field’s source at each location. The COVID19 spreading volume density of the outward flux of transmission field is represented by divergence around a given location. The Curl is an operator of COVID19 transmission field, which describes the circulation of a transmission vector field. The Curl at a location in COVID19 transmission field is represented by a vector whose length and direction denote the magnitude and axis of the maximum circulation. The curl of a transmission field is formally defined as the circulation density at each location of COVID19 transmission field. From data analysis of divergence of curl of Lower Michigan Peninsula, the COVID19 transmission volume flux and circulation can be identified for each County. Summary: This paper is to use vector Divergence and Curl concept to apply to COVID19 confirmed cases in Lower Peninsula of Michigan, U.S.A.
Assessment of discharge and sediment flows in a river through a combined hydraulic and hydrologic routing techniques
Authors: Bulti Abebe Tadesse
Published: April 2021

An advancement of flood routing methods is important for the design and management of the water resources systems. Hydraulic and hydrologic routing approach are widely applied in most simulation models, separately. The combined hydrologic and hydraulic routing method where recent approach to improve the modeling effort in hydrological studies. The main drawback of hydrologic routing methods was inaccuracy on downstream areas of the river basin, where the effect of hydraulic structures and the river dynamics processes are dominant. The hydraulic routing approaches are relatively good on a downstream reaches of a river. This research was done on the Awash River basin at the upstream areas of a Koka dam. A combined hydrologic and hydraulic approach was used to assess the discharge and sediment flow in the river basin. The hydrologic routing method was applied at an upstream part of a river basin through a SWAT model. HEC-RAS model was applied at the middle and downstream areas of the basin based on hydraulic routing principle. The combined routing method can improve the result from the simulation and increases the accuracy in the prediction of the peak flow. It can simulate all the discharges for both short and long-term duration with good model performance indicators. Besides, sediment modeling was done by comparing the regression model, SWAT model, and combination of HEC-RAS and SWAT model. The result from the sediment modeling indicates that the regression model and the combined models show good agreement in predicting the suspended sediment in the Awash River basin.
Quantitative Influence and Performance Analysis of VR Laparoscopic Surgical Training System
Authors: Yu Peng , Pan Junjun , Wang Zhaoxue , Shen Yang , Li Jialun , Hao Aimin , Wang Haipeng
Published: April 2021

Background VR surgery training becomes a trend in clinical education. Many research papers validate the effectiveness of VR based surgical simulators in training surgeons. However, most existing papers employ subjective methods to study the residents’ surgical skills improvement. Few of them investigates how to substantially improve the surgery skills on speciﬁc dimensions.Methods In this paper, we resort to physiological approaches to objectively research quantitative inﬂuence and performance analysis of VR laparoscopic surgical training system for medical students. 41 participants were recruited from a pool of medical students. They conducted four pre and post experiments in the training box. In the middle of pre and post experiments, they were trained on VR laparoscopic surgery simulators (VRLS). When conducting pre and post experiments, their operation process and physiological data (heart rate and electroencephalogram) are recorded. Their performance is graded by senior surgeons using newly designed hybrid standards for fundamental tasks and GOALS standards for colon resection tasks. Finally, the participants were required to ﬁll the questionnaires about their cognitive load and ﬂow experience.Results The results show that the VRLS could highly improve medical students' performance (p < 0.01) especially in depth perception and enable the participants to obtain flow experience with a lower cognitive load.Conclusion The performance of participants is negatively correlated with cognitive load through quantitatively physiological analysis. This might provide a new way of assessing skill acquirement.
A Student-Led Telephone-Based Clinical Learning Program for Outreach to Older Adults
Authors: Gulati Arushi , Lalchandani Pooja , Auchus Isabella , Grandi Janice , Clelland Elle , Chen Pei
Published: April 2021

Background: Early clinical experiences expose students to patient-centered care. However, early incorporation of telehealth communication skills remains limited in health professions education. In this study, we aimed to design and evaluate a telephone-based clinical learning program for students to promote the development of patient-centered communication skills while addressing healthcare disparities experienced by older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: We utilized workplace learning principles in designing a telephone-based clinical learning pilot program for health professions students at an academic geriatrics primary care clinic. Students conducted three types of telephone calls to patients that 1) assessed for unmet needs (e.g. food, medication, medical supplies, caregiving, social support, and/or access to medical care) (screening call), 2) addressed social isolation (social call), and 3) helped patients set up videoconferencing software to prepare for telehealth appointments (telehealth-training call). We tracked telephone call completion and outcomes via weekly student reports and the electronic health record. To evaluate program efficacy and learning outcomes, students completed an anonymous post-program survey that assessed pre- and post-program knowledge and skills acquisition. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests.Results: Five medical student liaisons led 23 medical and nurse practitioner students in calling 335 patients over 13 weeks. Students successfully reached 247 patients (74%), assisted 25 patients in setting up videoconferencing software, and engaged 30 patients in weekly social calls. Of 21 students who completed the post-program survey, 18 (86%) believed this program provided meaningful clinical exposure. After participation, all students felt comfortable interacting with patients by telephone and 20 (95%) felt confident in relationship-centered communication. Students reported increased knowledge about vulnerabilities in the geriatric population (p = 0.002).Conclusion: This telephone-based program allowed health professions students to support a vulnerable population and gain patient-centered communication skills. This program could be adapted for implementation in multiple contexts as an effective telehealth clinical learning experience, especially for pre-clerkship health professions students who could gain early exposure to telehealth and practice communication and health coaching skills with patients.
The need for nutritional assessment and interventions based on the prognostic nutritional index for patients with femoral fractures: a retrospective study
Authors: He Miao , Fan Qinghong , Zhu Yuhang , Liu Dexing , Liu Xingxing , Xu Shan , Peng Jiachen , Zhu Zhaoqiong
Published: April 2021

Background
The incidence of adverse perioperative outcomes in surgery for femoral fractures is quite high and is associated with malnutrition. This study aimed to identify independent factors and assess the predictive value of the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) for perioperative adverse outcomes in patients with femoral fractures.
Methods
This retrospective study included 343 patients who underwent surgery for a single femur fracture. Demographic characteristics, surgery and anaesthesia records, and blood test results at admission, 1 day postoperatively, and before discharge were evaluated using logistic regression analysis. The discriminatory ability of the independent factors was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, and DeLong's test was used to compare the area under the curve (AUC).
Results
Overall, 159 patients (46.4%) experienced adverse perioperative outcomes. Among these, 123 (35.9%) had lower limb vein thrombus, 68 (19.8%) had hospital-acquired pneumonia, 6 (1.7%) were transferred to the postoperative intensive care unit, 4 (1.2%) had pulmonary embolism, 3 (0.9%) died during hospitalisation, and 9 (2.6%) had other adverse outcomes, including incision disunion, renal and liver function impairment, acute heart failure, acute cerebral infarction, and stress gastroenteritis. The PNI at admission, age, postoperative hospital stay, time to admission, hypertension, combined injures, and surgery type were independent factors for adverse perioperative outcomes. Based on the AUC (PNI at admission: 0.772 (0.723–0.821), P < 0.001; age: 0.678 (0.622–0.734), P < 0.001; postoperative hospital stay: 0.608 (0.548–0.668), P = 0.001; time to admission: 0.585 (0.525–0.646), P = 0.006), the PNI at admission had optimal discrimination ability, indicating its superiority over other independent factors (age vs. PNI at admission, P = 0.002; postoperative hospital stay vs. PNI at admission, P < 0.001; time to admission vs. PNI at admission, P < 0.001).
Conclusions
Nutritional assessment and appropriate intervention strategies on admission are necessary for patients with femoral fractures, and the PNI at admission may be a good nutritional assessment indicator.
The True Infection Mortality Rate of COVID-19 During the Spring 2020 Wave
Authors: De Visscher Alex , Patricio Paolla Pinheiro
Published: April 2021

Estimations of the infection mortality rate of COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, are prone to biases due to underdiagnosis, false positives, false negatives, and time lag between diagnosis and death. With a systematic analysis that combines epidemiological modeling of COVID-19 in Spain and in the state of New York, and results of random immunological testing in the spring of 2020 in both locations, most of the bias is eliminated and any remaining bias is evaluated and reported as an uncertainty estimate. A true infection mortality rate of 1.45 ± 0.45 % is obtained, representing an average for the two locations, and obtained with a different technique to minimize the effect of potential biases. In the absence of specific local data, this number can be used for the first wave of COVID-19 in OECD countries. This mortality rate estimate of the new coronavirus is sufficiently accurate to be used as a basis for policy decisions. When differences in age distribution between Spain and the state of New York are accounted for, tentative infection mortality rates of 1.18 ± 0.26 % and 1.94 ± 0.43 % are put forward for New York and Spain, respectively.
The clinical and MRI effect of TNF-α inhibitor in spondyloarthritis patients with hip involvement: a real-world prospective clinical study
Authors: Zhang Kui , Zheng Yan , Han Qing , Liu Ying , Wang Weitao , Ding Jin , Zheng Minwen , Zheng Zhaohui , Zhu Ping
Published: April 2021

Background: Hip involvement is an important cause of disability and poor prognostic in patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA). TNF-α inhibitor treatment had been demonstrated to be effective in SpA patients with hip arthritis, however, quantitative assessment with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the long-term follow-up still needs further application.Methods: A total of 239 patients were involved in this study, MTX and SSZ were given as basic treatment. 165 patients received TNF-α inhibitor plus basic treatment and 74 patients received basic treatment only as control. The clinical symptoms were assessed at baseline, week 12, week 24, and week 52. The MRI performances of hip arthritis including bone marrow edema (BME) and synovitis were quantitatively assessed using Hip MRI Inflammation Scoring System (HIMRISS).Results: The clinical symptoms of ESR, CRP, BASDAI, Harris, and ASDAS-ESR of both groups got significant clinical remission at week 52 (p<0.001). However, the disease activity change levels at week 52 in control group were significantly worse than TNF group. In week 52, MRI performance showed significant remission trend in TNF-α inhibitor group versus baseline of which total HIMRISS scores decreased significantly ( 26.49±10.37 vs 20.59±9.41, p<0.001), but the control group only had slight improvement trend (p<0.05).Conclusions: TNF-α inhibitor could significantly and better improve the clinical and MRI manifestation of hip involvement in SpA patients than controls. Quantitative MRI assessment combined with clinical assessment could accurately evaluate the treatment effect of TNF-α for SpA patients with hip involvement, and help to guide targeted treatment.Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR-ONRC-11001846, Registered 28 November 2011. Retrospectively registered http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=7701