bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Sanguisorba Minor on Scopolamine-induced Memory Loss in Rat: Involvement of Oxidative Stress and Acetylcholinesterase
Authors: Hosseini Zeinab , Mansouritorghabeh Fatemeh , Kakhki Faezeh Sadat Hosseini , Hosseini Mahmoud , Rakhshandeh Hassan , Hosseini Azar , Hasanpour Maede , Iranshahi Mehrdad , Rajabian Arezoo
Published: June 2021

Sanguisorba minor (S. minor) has neuroprotective and antioxidant activities; nevertheless, its potential benefits in ameliorating learning and memory functions have not been explored yet. So, in this study, rats were treated with S. minor hydro-ethanolic extract (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, intraperitoneal (i.p.)) as well as rivastigmine (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.) for 21 consecutive days. Thereafter, their behavioral performance was assessed using Morris water maze (MWM) and passive avoidance (PA) tasks. Scopolamine was also injected 30 min before conducting the tasks. Finally, oxidative stress biomarkers and acetyl cholinesterase (AChE) activity were determined in the brain. The extract characterization was presented using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), which confirmed the presence of quercetin, myricetin, kaempferol, catechin, ellagic acid, and gallic acid derivatives. According to the results, the extract at all doses could significantly recover the impairment of cognitive performance of the scopolamine-treated rats. In the MWM test, the extract and rivastigmine reduced escape latency and travelled distance, compared to the scopolamine group. Moreover, in the PA test, the latency to enter the dark chamber was significantly increased by the extract and rivastigmine, compared to the scopolamine group (p<0.05-p<0.001). Similar to rivastigmine, the extract attenuated both AChE activity and oxidative injury in the brain as evidenced by the increased antioxidant enzymes and total thiol content, but it decreased malondialdehyde level (p<0.05-p<0.001). In conclusion, the results suggested the effectiveness of S. minor on preventing cognitive dysfunction induced by scopolamine. Accordingly, these protective effects might be produced through the regulation of cholinergic activity and oxidative stress.
Effect of Multilayer Configuration on Spectral Response of Thin Film TiO2/NiO Heterojunction Photodetector
Authors: Hammadi Oday A.
Published: June 2021

In this work, a multilayer design for the TiO2/NiO heterojunction device is proposed. In this design, layers of TiO2 nanostructures are consecutively deposited on layers of NiO nanostructures deposited on ITO substrates. This design was compared to the conventional design of thin film TiO2/NiO heterojunction device by measuring the spectral response of both designs in the spectral range of 200–1200 nm. The proposed design showed increased response intensity by 14%, narrowing spectral width by 23% and single peak of response at 440nm.
Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic and First Lockdown on Pregnancy Monitoring in France: the COVIMATER Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Doncarli Alexandra , Araujo Lucia , Crenn-Hebert Catherine , Demiguel Virginie , Boudet-Berquier Julie , Barry Yaya , Santo Maria-Eugênia Gomes Do Espirito , Guajardo Andrea , Menguy Claudie , Tabaï Anouk , Wyndels Karine , Benachi Alexandra , Regnault Nolwenn
Published: June 2021

BackgroundIn the context of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, consultations and pregnancy monitoring examinations had to be reorganised urgently. In addition, women themselves may have postponed or cancelled their medical monitoring for organisational reasons, for fear of contracting the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) or for other reasons of their own. Delayed care can have deleterious consequences for both the mother and the child. Our objective was therefore to study the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the first lockdown in France on voluntary changes by pregnant women in the medical monitoring of their pregnancy and the associated factors.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in July 2020 using a web-questionnaire completed by 500 adult (>18 years old) pregnant women during the first French lockdown (March-May 2020). A robust variance Poisson regression model was used to estimate adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs). ResultsAlmost one women of five (23.4%) reported having voluntarily postponed or foregone at least one consultation or pregnancy check-up during the lockdown. Women who were professionally inactive (aPR=1.98, CI95%[1.24-3.16]), who had experienced serious disputes or violence during the lockdown (1.47, [1.00-2.16]), who felt they received little or no support (1.71, [1.07-2.71]), and those who changed health professionals during the lockdown (1.57, [1.04-2.36]) were all more likely to have voluntarily changed their pregnancy monitoring. Higher level of worry about the pandemic was associated with a lower probability of voluntarily changing pregnancy monitoring (0.66, [0.46 -0.96]).Conclusions Our results can guide prevention and support policies for pregnant women in the current and future pandemics.
Dysexecutive Behavior in First-episode Schizophrenia
Authors: Orellana Gricel , Slachevsky Andrea , Henriquez Fernando
Published: June 2021

Background: Dysexecutive syndrome is a prominent and functionally significant cognitive feature of schizophrenia. This study assesses and correlates executive function deficits and dysexecutive behavior in first-episode schizophrenia patients and healthy participants.Methods: We evaluated 22 FES patients (aged 17−29 years, history of single episode of schizophrenia, treated with atypical antipsychotics) and 20 controls matched for gender, age, and education. EF was evaluated using the Modified Six Elements Test, Modified Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, and Frontal Assessment Battery. DB was evaluated using the Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX) and Behavioral Dysexecutive Syndrome Inventory (BDSI).Results: FES patients had marked executive function impairments and dysexecutive behavior as compared to controls. Our findings suggest that executive function scores on standardized neuropsychological tests may be ecologically valid predictors of dysexecutive behavior.Conclusions: Dysexecutive behavior is common during first-episode schizophrenia and may be a primary impairment throughout disease progression. The present results inform clinical practice by providing insight into first-episode schizophrenia specific features of dysexecutive behavior. Understanding the associations between executive function and dysexecutive behavior helps to explain the social adjustment disorders associated with schizophrenia. This knowledge may be used to improve diagnostic and therapeutic tools; for example, clarifying the implications of specific DEX and BDSI dimensions could increase the efficacy of individual or familial psychotherapy interventions.
High-Arsenic Groundwater from Huaihe River Basin, China：Geochemistry and Hydrogeochemical Processes
Authors: Xu Naizheng , Gong Jianshi , Ye Yonghong
Published: June 2021

Arsenic (As) poses a danger to environmental health, and drinking arsenic-rich groundwater is a key exposure risk for humans. The distribution, migration, and enrichment of As in groundwater is an important worldwide environmental and public health problem that requires research. Huaihe River Basin has been newly identified as a region of high-arsenic groundwater in China. This study aims to analyze the hydrogeochemical data of high-arsenic groundwater, trace its formation and evolution, and evaluate its potential pollution risks. The results showed that As and F were the main inorganic chemical substances affecting the water quality in the study area, with concentrations of 5.75±5.42 μg L-1 and 1.29±0.40 mg L-1, respectively, exceeding the recommended drinking water standards of the World Health Organization by 23% and 31%, respectively. The proportion of groundwater with a high As content presents a high exposure risk. According to the hydrochemical diagram and the calculation of mineral saturation indices, the groundwater in the study area underwent evaporation, halite dissolution, and water-rock interaction. The total alkalinity of high-arsenic groundwater ranges mainly between 400–700 mg L-1, and the chemical type is mainly of HCO3-Na. High-arsenic groundwater is largely affected by evaporation and cation exchange. In an alkaline environment, As in high-arsenic groundwater derives from the dissolution and release of arsenic sulfide in aquifer sediments and poses a potential threat to human health through food and drinking water.
Population-based Study of Long-term Anticoagulation for Treatment and Secondary Prophylaxis of Venous Thromboembolism in Men With Prostate Cancer in Sweden
Authors: Balabanova Yanina , Farahmand Bahman , Stattin Pär , Garmo Hans , Brobert Gunnar
Published: June 2021

Background: Epidemiological data on anticoagulation for venous thromboembolism (VTE) in prostate cancer are sparse. We aimed to investigate associations between anticoagulation duration and risks of VTE recurrence after treatment cessation and major on-treatment bleeding in men with prostate cancer in Sweden. Methods: Using nationwide prostate cancer registry and prescribing data, we followed 1413 men with VTE and an outpatient anticoagulant prescription following prostate cancer diagnosis. Men were followed to identify cases of recurrent VTE, and hospitalized major bleeding. We calculated adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to quantify the association between anticoagulation duration (reference ≤3 months) and recurrent VTE using Cox regression. We estimated 1-year cumulative incidences of major bleedings from anticoagulation initiation.Results: The outpatient anticoagulation prescribed was parenteral (64%), direct oral anticoagulant (31%), and vitamin K antagonist (20%). Median duration of anticoagulation was 7 months. Adjusted HRs (95% CI) for off-treatment recurrent pulmonary embolism (PE) were 0.32 (0.09–1.15) for >3–6 months’ duration, 0.21 (0.06–0.69) for >6–9 months and 0.16 (0.05–0.55) for >9 months; corresponding HRs for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) were 0.67 (0.27–1.66), 0.80 (0.31–2.07), and 1.19 (0.47–3.02). One-year cumulative incidences of intracranial, gastrointestinal and urogenital bleeding were 0.9%, 1.7%, 3.0% during treatment, and 1.2%, 0.9%, 1.6% after treatment cessation.Conclusion: The greatest benefit in reducing recurrent VTE risk was with >9 months anticoagulation for PE and >3–6 months for DVT. Risks of major bleeding were low not being substantially different to the risks after treatment cessation.
On the Safety of COOK Double Balloons to Promote Cervical Ripening in Pregnant Women With Group B Streptococcus Colonization
Authors: Ni Ping , Yang Weitao , Yu Lanting , Li Hua , Huang Lihui , Huang Le , Peng Jing
Published: June 2021

Background: For pregnant women who develop complications during the third trimester of pregnancy, or who have not given birth naturally after more than 41 weeks of pregnancy, artificial induction of labor is needed in order to obtain a healthy outcome for both the mother and the child. The 2014 edition of the Guidelines for Promoting Cervical Maturation and Delivery in Late Pregnancy point out that the use of COOK cervical ripening balloons to mechanically dilate the cervix can be used in the third trimester to promote cervical ripening and labor induction [1]. The disadvantage is the risk of infection, premature rupture of membranes, and umbilical cord prolapse [2]. The safety of balloon induction for pregnant women colonized by group B streptococcus (GBS) is currently lacking in multi-center clinical research data. This article will study the safety of COOK double balloon induction in pregnant women colonized by GBS.Methods: A total of 1,681 pregnant women who used COOK double balloons for cervical ripening in Changsha Maternity and Child Health Hospital from September 2018 to September 2020 were selected as the research subjects, from which 125 cases with colonization of group B streptococcus in the reproductive tract were selected as the observation group. Pregnant women without group B streptococcus colonization (N = 1556) served as the control group. This study compares the two groups’ delivery methods, postpartum complications, and neonatal conditions. Results: The rate of transition to cesarean section in the observation group was slightly higher, and the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.049). The rate of postpartum hemorrhage was higher than that of the control group (p < 0.05). Although chorioamnionitis increased compared to the control group, the difference was not significant (p > 0.05). The comparison of newborn birth indicators between the two groups showed no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05). Conclusion: When pregnant women with colonization of group B streptococcus of the genital tract use the COOK double balloon to promote cervical ripening, the success rate of labor induction is high. Use of the balloon does not increase the cesarean section rate and the incidence of chorioamnionitis, nor does it increase the risk of neonatal infection. However, the risk of postpartum hemorrhage increases, and it is necessary to take active measures to reduce this risk.
Evaluation of the Energy Budget of the Fish Cyprinus Carpio in Acid Waters
Authors: Azeez Ibrahim Abdul , Muthuswamy Narayanan , Sethuraman Ramachandran
Published: June 2021

The present study was focused on the influence of acid waters on the energy budget of the fish Cyprinus carpio. The experimental fish were tested in the experimental media (pH 5.0, 5.8, 6.6, and control 7.2) for 21 days for the bioenergetics evaluation. The fishes were fed by the fresh beef liver. The pH was upheld vigilantly throughout the investigation, after the experimental period, the results revealed the declined rates of food consumption (69.75 J/g/day), absorption (96.28 (J/g/day), conversion ( -30.76 Rate of energy conversion (J/g/day), and the hyper-metabolic rate (5.09 Energy metabolized KJ/animal) was observed in the fishes exposed to low pH 5.0, 5.8, and 6.6 respectively.
Observation of a novel reduced-turbulence regime with boron powder injection in a stellarator
Authors: Nespoli Federico , Masuzaki Suguru , Tanaka Kenji , Ashikawa Naoko , Shoji Mamoru , Gilson Erik , Lunsford Robert , Oishi Tetsutaro , Ida Katsumi , Yoshinuma Mikirou , Takemura Yuki , Kinoshita Toshiki , Motojima Gen , Kenmochi Naoki , Kawamura Gakushi , Suzuki Chihiro , Nagy Alex , Bortolon Alessandro , Pablant Novimir , Mollen Albert , Tamura Naoki , Gates David , Morisaki Tomohiro
Published: June 2021

We report the first observation of a novel confinement regime in a stellarator plasma, characterized by increased confinement and reduced turbulent fluctuations. The transition to this new regime is driven by the injection of sub-millimetric boron powder grains into the plasma. With the line averaged electron density being kept constant, substantial increase of stored energy, electron and ion temperature have been observed. At the same time, the amplitude of the plasma turbulent fluctuations is halved. While lower frequency fluctuations are damped, higher frequency modes in the range 100 ≤ f [kHz] ≤ 200 are excited. The access to this regime has been observed for different heating schemes, namely with both electron and ion cyclotron resonant radio frequency, and neutral beams, for both directions of the magnetic field, and for both hydrogen and deuterium plasmas.
Safety Profile of an Intracranial Multimodal Monitoring Bolt System for Neurocritical Care: A Single-Center Experience
Authors: Barajraji Mejdeddine Al , BOGOSSIAN Elisa GOUVEA , DEWITTE Olivier , GASPARD Nicolas , Hadwe Salim El , MININI Andrea , ANDRE Joachim , TACCONE Fabio Silvio , SCHUIND Sophie , BARRIT Sami
Published: June 2021

Background
Intracranial multimodality monitoring (iMMM) is increasingly used in acute brain injured patients; however, safety and reliability remain major concerns to its routine implementation.
Methods
We performed a retrospective study including all patients undergoing iMMM at a single European center between July 2016 and January 2020. Brain tissue oxygenation probe (PbtO2), alone or in combination with a microdialysis catheter and/or an 8-contact depth EEG electrode, was inserted using a triple lumen bolt system and targeting normal-appearing at risk brain area on the injured side, whenever possible. Surgical complications, adverse events and technical malfunctions, directly associated with iMMM were collected. A blinded imaging review was performed by an independent radiologist.
Results
113 patients with 123 iMMM insertions were included for a median monitoring time of 9 [3–14] days. Of those, 93 (76%) patients had only PbtO2 probe insertion and 30 (24%) had also microdialysis and/or iEEG monitoring. SAH was the most frequent indication for iMMM (n = 60, 53%). At least one complication was observed in 67/123 (54%) iMMM placement, corresponding to 58/113 (51%) patients. Misplacement was observed in 16/123 (13%), resulting in a total of 6/16 (38%) malfunctioning PbtO2 catheters. Intracranial hemorrhage was observed in 14 iMMM placements (11%), of which one required surgical drainage. Five placements were complicated by pneumocephalus and 4 with bone fragments, none of these requiring additional surgery. No CNS infection related to iMMM was observed. Seven (6%) probes were accidentally dislodged and 2 probes (2%) were accidentally broken. Ten PbtO2 probes (8%) presented a technical malfunction after a median of 9 [ranges: 2–24] days after initiation of monitoring and 4 of them were replaced.
Conclusions
In this study, a high occurrence of complications related to iMMM was observed, although most of them did not require specific interventions and did not result in malfunctioning monitoring.
Evaluation of Prognostic Value in Thyroid Cancer and Bone Metastasis with I-131 Therapy
Authors: Li Chao , Huang Shuo , Tang Wenfang , Feng Fang , Xu Zhongyun , Fu Hongliang , Wang Hui
Published: June 2021

Objectives: This study is aimed to evaluate the risk factors for survival and prognostic value in differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) and bone metastasis (BM) with I-131 therapy.Methods: 67 consecutive patients with DTC and BM were included between 2006 and 2019. All patients received total or near-total thyroidectomy, radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment, I-131 whole-body scan (WBS) and Fluorine-18-fluorodesoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (F-18-FDG PET/CT). Variables including patient’s gender, age, pathology, laboratory examination, characteristics of BM, treatment models, and metabolic parameters of F-18-FDG PET/CT were analyzed for disease progression and survival prognosis. Results: A total of 207 BM lesions were found in 67 patients and 28 (41.79%) patients experienced disease progression. Age stratification, thyroglobulin/thyroid-stimulating hormone (Tg/TSH) level, Tg level, PET (+) ratio and RAI (+) ratio showed significant differences between patients with progression and those without progression (p<0.05). The overall survival (OS) rate was 100% at one year, 86.56% at three years, and 43.20% at five years. Base on survival analysis, Tg/TSH level, PET (+) ratio and RAI(+) ratio were independent risk factors for PFS and OS. Of parameters of PET/CT, metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were the significant prognostic factors for PFS and OS in DTC and BM patients.Conclusions: Tg/TSH level, PET (+) ratio and RAI(+) ratio are the independent risk factors for survival in patients with DTC and BM. MTV and TLG are the significant prognosis factors for PFS and OS on PET/CT imaging.
Multi-modal Ultrasonic Diagnosis and Prognosis for Primary Thyroid Lymphoma Invasiveness
Authors: Peng Chenjuan , Yang Chen , Yao Jincao , Zhou LingYan , Xu Jingjing , Wu Junzhou , Zhao Jiazheng , Peng Shuailing , Xu Dong
Published: June 2021

Objective Sixty-nine patients with primary thyroid lymphoma (PTL) were evaluated for diagnostic value and prognosis for PTL invasiveness. Methods We retrospectively (2008–2019) analyzed multi-modal ultrasonic images and clinical characteristics from pathologically confirmed PTL patients. These patients were divided into aggressive PTL(n=46) and indolent PTL(n=23). Results Age(>70 years old) and elevated LDH (lactase dehydrogenase) were statistically different clinical features between aggressive and indolent PTL. From ultrasonic images, 34 cases were nodular, 11 diffused, and 24 mixed. Mixed types displayed high invasiveness (45.7%) while diffuse types displayed higher inertness (39.1%), and differences were statistically significant (P = 0.000). Elastography, invaded thyroid capsule and increased chaotic vascularity also showed significant differences between aggressive and indolent PTL. We observed statistical difference in OS(overall survival rates) between aggressive and indolent PTL(p=0.032). Single factor Kaplan-Meier (K-M) analysis showed that: age > 70 years old, aggressive pathology, Ki67>30%, elastography scored >3 were positively correlated with the risk of poor prognosis of PTL (P < 0.05).Conclusions Multi-modal ultrasound provides accurate ultrasonographic information, e.g., ultrasound patterns, elastography, invaded thyroid capsules, and hypervascularity, which facilitates PTL invasiveness diagnostics for improved clinical treatment. In addition, PTL patients with age > 70 years old, aggressive pathology, Ki67>30%, elastography scored >3 are more likely to have poor prognosis.
Deep Learning for emotion analysis in Arabic tweets
Authors: KHALIL ENAS ABDEL HAKIM , Houby Enas .M.F. El , Mohamed Hoda .k.
Published: June 2021

Expressing our emotions using text and emojis expressions became widespread through social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Weibo, and LinkedIn. Nowadays, both organizations and individuals are interested in using social media to analyze people's opinions and extract sentiments and emotions. We proposed a model for multilabel emotion classification, using a bidirectional Long Short-term Memory BiLSTM deep network. It is evaluated on the Arabic tweets' dataset provided by SemEval 2018 for the E-c task. Several preprocessing steps, including ARLSTEM with some modifications, replacing emojis with corresponding text meaning from a manually built lexicon, and feature vector representation using Aravec word embedding is applied. The novelty in our research that it examines the effect of hyperparameter tuning on model performance, and it uses BiLSTM in all of its deep neural network layers. The proposed model achieves a comparable performance with state-of-the-art models using different machine learning and deep learning techniques. The system achieves about 9% enhancement in validation accuracy compared with the last best model in the same task using Support Vector classifier SVC; it outperforms the other deep neural networks (UNCCTeam) based on fully connected layers in micro F1 metric of about 4.4%.
N6-methyladenosine-mediated Nrf2 Regulates the Defense Mechanism Against PM2.5-induced Pulmonary Fibrosis
Authors: Ji Ding , Hu Chenxi , Ning Jie , Ying Xiaoling , Zhang Haiqing , Zhang Bohan , Liu Bixia , Liu Qingping , Zhang Rong , Ji Weidong
Published: June 2021

Background: It has been reported that particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of < 2.5 µm (PM2.5) could induce epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)- and extracellular matrix (ECM)-related pulmonary fibrosis (PF). The transcription factor Nrf2 alleviated PM2.5-induced PF by antagonizing oxidative stress. The N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modifications play a significant role in the stress response. However, the effect of m6A modification on the mechanisms of Nrf2-mediated defense against PM2.5-induced PF remain unknown. Here, we investigated the role and the underlying molecular mechanisms of m6A methylation of Nrf2 mRNA in PM2.5-induced PF. Results: Male C57BL/6 mice were exposed to filtered air (FA), unfiltered air (UA) and concentrated air (CA)for 16 weeks. 16HBE cells were treated with 0, 50, or 100 µg/mL PM2.5 for 24 h. Our data showed that chronic PM2.5 exposure could induce fibrosis in lung and increase Nrf2 signals. In Nrf2 deficient cells, α-SMA expression was significantly upregulated whereas E-cadherin decreased compared with WT cells after PM2.5 treatment which implied the aggravated fibrosis. m6A methyltransferase METTL3 was upregulated after PM2.5 treatment. m6A-methylated RNA immunoprecipitation (MeRIP) and qRT-PCR results showed that METTL3 improved the m6A modification of Nrf2 mRNA in PM2.5-exposed 16HBE cells. MeRIP-Seq and single-base T3 ligase-based PCR results showed that the m6A-modified sites of Nrf2 mRNA were 1317, 1376, and 935 in lung of mice after PM2.5 exposure. RIP results suggested that the m6A binding proteins YTHDF1/IGF2BP1 promoted Nrf2 translation by binding to Nrf2 mRNA m6A residues.Conclusions: Our results revealed the mechanism by which m6A regulated the activities of the Nrf2-mediated signaling pathway against PM2.5-induced PF.
Frontal Alpha Asymmetry and Psychosocial Interactions in Medical Students: A Pilot Study
Authors: Gorantla Vasavi R , Arcaro Justin , Palacios Allison , MILLIS RICHARD M.
Published: June 2021

Frontal alpha asymmetry (fAA) is a neurophysiological marker for anxiety and depression. This study tests the hypothesis that greater left-sided frontal alpha voltage is associated with negative thoughts about oneself. A group of eight healthy 28-41-year-old right-handed male medical students were subjected to an extensive interactive self-inventory (ISI) evaluating perceptions of their psychosocial interactions. Quantitative EEG (qEEG) was done with eyes closed. fAA in the alpha bandwidth (8-13 Hz) at the F7 and F8 scalp electrodes was the percent difference between mean voltages at F8 minus F7. Significance of associations between fAA and ISI scores was determined by Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficient, at P≤0.05. “Depressed” scores were positively correlated with right-sided fAA (P=0.01). “Relaxed” (P=0.05), “regulated” (P=0.02), “cooperative” (P=0.05) and “dependent scores” (P=0.004) were negatively correlated with right-sided fAA. These findings imply that right-sided fAA may be associated with more perceptions of “depressed” psychosocial interactions involving negative thoughts about oneself, as well as, more reliance on others (“dependence” score), less sharing (“cooperative” ISI score), less trust (“regulated” ISI score) and less initiative (“relaxed” ISI score). These results support the hypothesis that right-sided fAA may identify individuals with a predilection for negative thoughts about themselves and negatively-valenced perceptions of their psychosocial interactions.
Enriched Microbial Communities for Ammonium and Nitrite Removal from Recirculating Aquaculture Systems
Authors: Neissi Alireza , Rafiee Gholamreza , Rahimi Shadi , Farahmand Hamid , Pandit Santosh , Mijakovic Ivan
Published: June 2021

Background: The aim of this study was the enrichment of high-performance microbial communities in biofilters for removal of ammonium and nitrite from aquaculture water. Methods: Ammonium oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) were enriched from different environmental water samples. The microbial communities with higher ammonium and nitrite removal activity were selected and adapted to different temperatures [9 ºC, 15 ºC, room temperature (25 ºC), and 30 ºC]. The expression of genes involved in nitrification including ammonia monooxygenase (AMO) and nitrite oxidoreductase (NXR) were measured in temperature-adapted AOB and NOB microbiomes. The microbial species present in the selected microbiomes were identified via 16s rRNA sequencing. Results: The microbial communities containing Nitrosomonas oligotropha and Nitrobacter winogradskyi showed the highest ammonium and nitrite removal activity at all temperatures used for adaptation. Furthermore, the microbial communities do not contain any pathogenic bacteria. They also exhibited the highest expression of AMO and NXR genes. Using the enriched microbial communities, we achieved a 288% and 181% improvement in ammonium and nitrite removal over the commonly used communities in biofilters at 9 °C, respectively. Conclusions: These results suggest that the selected microbiomes allowed for a significant improvement of water quality in a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS).
Motor Cortex Plasticity Response to Acute Cardiorespiratory Exercise and Intermittent Theta-Burst Stimulation is Attenuated in Premanifest and Early Huntington’s Disease
Authors: Andrews Sophie C. , Curtin Dylan , Coxon James P. , Stout Julie C.
Published: June 2021

Huntington’s disease (HD) mouse models suggest that cardiovascular exercise may enhance neuroplasticity and delay disease signs, however, the effects of exercise on neuroplasticity in people with HD are unknown. Using a repeated-measures experimental design, we compared the effects of a single bout of high-intensity exercise, moderate-intensity exercise, or rest, on motor cortex synaptic plasticity in 14 HD CAG-expanded participants (9 premanifest & 5 early manifest) and 20 CAG-healthy control participants, using transcranial magnetic stimulation. Measures of cortico-motor excitability, short-interval intracortical inhibition and intracortical facilitation were obtained before and after a 20-minute bout of either high-intensity interval exercise, moderate-intensity continuous exercise, or rest, and again after intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS). HD participants showed less inhibition at baseline compared to controls. Whereas the control group showed increased excitability and facilitation following high-intensity exercise and iTBS, the HD group showed no differences in neuroplasticity responses following either exercise intensity or rest, with follow-up Bayesian analyses providing consistent evidence that these effects were absent in the HD group. These findings indicate that exercise-induced synaptic plasticity mechanisms in response to acute exercise may be attenuated in HD, and demonstrate the need for future research to further investigate exercise and plasticity mechanisms in people with HD.
Annotation and Classification of Graphs of Property Values Reported in Material Science Literature
Authors: Iinuma Naoki , Kuniyoshi Fusataka , Ozawa Jun , Miwa Makoto
Published: June 2021

Building a system for extracting information from the scientific literature is an important research topic in the field of inorganic materials science. However, conventional extracting systems have a limitation in that they do not extract characteristic values from non-textual components, such as charts, diagrams, and tables, which provide key information in many scientific documents. Although there have been several studies on identifying the characteristic values of graphs in the literature, there is no general method that classifies graphs according to the property conditions of the values in the field of materials science. Therefore, in this study, we focus on the graphs that are figures representing graphically numerical data, such as a bar graph and line graph, as the first step towards developing a framework for extracting material property information from such non-contextual components. We propose deep-learning-based classification models for identifying the types of graph properties, such as temperature and time, by combining graph images, text in graphs, and captions in neural networks. To train and evaluate the models, we construct a material graph dataset with different types of material properties from a large collection of data from journals in the field of materials science. By using cloud sourcing, we annotated 16,668 images in about 3 days. Our experimental results demonstrate that the best model can achieve high performance with a micro-averaged F-score of 0.961.
Evaluation of the antiproliferative effect of Iso-mukaadial acetate on breast and ovarian cancer cells
Authors: Raphela-Choma Portia P , Simelane Mthokozisi BC , Choene Mpho S
Published: June 2021

Background

Natural compounds derived from various medicinal plants may activate several physiological pathways which can be valuable to diseases such as cancer. Isomukaadial acetate has previously been shown to possess antimalarial and anti-diabetic properties. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antiproliferative effects of isomukaadial acetate on breast and ovarian cancer cell lines.

Method

Cell viability assays were conducted using AlamarBlue assay and xCELLigence system. Cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest were determined and analyzed by flow cytometer. Effector caspase (3/7) activation was evaluated by caspase Glo®-3/7 reagent and gene expression was analyzed by Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction.

Results

The Alamar blue assay and xCELLigence showed that Iso-mukaadial acetate exhibited anti-proliferative effects on MDA-MB 231, RMG-1, and HEK 293 cell lines in a concentration-dependent manner. Iso-mukaadial acetate induced apoptosis in both cancer cell lines caused cell cycle arrest at the S phase (RMG-1) and early G2 phase (MDA-MB 231) and expressed caspase 3/7 activity in MDA-MB 231 and RMG-1 cells.

BAX and p21 were upregulated in MDA-MB 231 and RMG-1 cells after treatment.

Conclusion

IMA significantly inhibited cancer growth and induced cell apoptosis with cell cycle modulation. IMA may be considered a promising candidate for the development of anticancer drugs either for its cytotoxic or cytostatic effect Furthermore, IMA requires to be further studied more to clearly understand its mechanism of action on cancer cells.
Comparison of clinical findings and CT scan in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia based on disease severity
Authors: Hesam-Shariati Sonia , Mohammadi Susan , Abouzaripour Morteza , Mohsenpour Behzad , Zareie Bushra , Fathi Fardin , Sheikholeslomzadeh Hana , shariati mohamad bakhtiar hesam
Published: June 2021

The SARS-CoV-2 can cause severe pneumonia and highly impact general health. We aimed to investigate different clinical features and CT scan findings of patients with COVID-19 based on disease severity to have a better understanding of this disease. For this purpose, 90 patients with coronavirus were examined retrospectively, which were divided into three categories based on the severity of the disease: mild/moderate, severe, and very severe. It has been shown that mean age and duration of hospitalization of patients increased with increasing the severity of disease. The most common clinical symptoms were shortness of breath, cough, and fever. As the severity of the disease increased from mild/moderate to very severe, there was an increase in neutrophile counts and a decrease in lymphocytes and white blood cells (WBC) showing excessive inflammation associated with severe forms of COVID-19. Subpleural changes (81%) and ground-glass opacification/opacity (GGO) lesions (73%) of the lung were the most common features among CT images of COVID-19 patients, and interlobular septal thickening (10%) was the lowest CT feature among patients. Regarding the affected parts of the lung in COVID-19 patients, bilaterial, peripheral and multiple lesions had the highest prevalence. Overall, it has been shown that clinical, laboratory and CT scan findings vary in COVID-19 patients based on disease severity, which need to be considered carefully in early diagnosis and treatment of this illness.
Fungi Anaesthesia
Authors: Adamatzky Andrew , Gandia Antoni
Published: June 2021

Electrical activity of fungus Pleurotus ostreatus is characterised by slow (hours) irregular waves of baseline potential drift and fast (minutes) action potential likes spikes of the electrical potential. An exposure of the mycelium colonised substrate to a chloroform vapour lead to several fold decrease of the baseline potential waves and increase of their duration. The chloroform vapour also causes either complete cessation of spiking activity or substantial reduction of the spiking frequency. Removal of the chloroform vapour from the growth containers leads to a gradual restoration of the mycelium electrical activity.
OSI-906 Restores The Sensitivity of Ovarian Clear Cell Carcinoma To Cisplatin By Targeting The IGF1R/AKT Pathway
Authors: Liu Li , Liang Changyan , Zhuo Chenya , Jiang Huiyun , Ye Huixia , Ruan Tianyuan , Song Jiao , Jiang Senwei , Zhang Yu , Li Xiaomao
Published: June 2021

Among the various histologic subtypes of ovarian cancers (OCs), ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) represents a great challenge due to its disease aggressiveness and resistance to chemotherapy. IGF1 is overexpressed in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), and IGF1 pathway activation is related to the chemoresistance of various cancers. In this study, we found that the expression level of IGF1 was higher in OCCC than in the most common type of OC, high-grade serous adenocarcinoma (HGSC). Then, we investigated the role of IGF1 pathway activation in the progression of OCCC, observing that activation of the IGF1 pathway using IGF1 promoted the proliferation and migration of ES2 cells, while inactivation of the IGF1 pathway using the selective IGF1R inhibitor OSI-906 reversed the alteration mediated by IGF1. Based on the role of the IGF1 pathway in cancer chemoresistance, we proposed that OSI-906 may restore the sensitivity of OCCC to cisplatin. We first validated that IGF1 increased the IC50 value of cisplatin in ES2 cells, while OSI-906 decreased it. Then we confirmed that IGF1 decreased the apoptosis rate of ES2 cells induced by cisplatin, while OSI-906 increased it. Finally, we conducted animal experiments to investigate whether OSI-906 helps cisplatin control the growth of OCCC. As expected, OSI-906 increased the effect of cisplatin in attenuating the growth of OCCC in vivo. Therefore, we conclude that using OSI-906 may be an effective method to restore the sensitivity of OCCC to cisplatin by targeting the IGF1R/AKT pathway.
Fertilization and Development of Conjoined Human Oocyte from a Binovular Follicle Containing Two Individual Oocytes Surrounded by a Zona Pellucida
Authors: Jiao Guangzhong , Wang Jianhua , Chen Lili , Shan Yinghua , Xing Hua , Liu Xiaoyan
Published: June 2021

The most reliable definition of conjoined oocytes is the inclusion of two oocytes within a common zona pellucida(ZP) or their fusion in the zonal region. Because the available data are extremely limited, the significance of conjoined oocytes in IVF laboratory setting has been questionable. We analyzed the characteristics of 18 patients with conjoined oocytes in our center. The maturation of conjoined oocytes were asynchronous. Most of the cases were that one oocyte in each pair of conjoined oocytes was in the MII stage and the other was in the GV stage. The maturation rate and fertilization rate of conjoined oocytes were significantly lower than that of normal oocytes. There was no significant difference in the rate of cleavage and D3 High-quality embryo, but the rate of blastocyst formation of conjoined oocytes decreased significantly. The area of larger oocytes in conjoined oocytes was not different from that of normal oocytes, and its companion was significantly smaller than that of normal oocytes. The mean ZP thickness of all oocytes, larger or smaller, was significantly thinner than that of normal oocytes. After analyzing the clinical characteristics of the patients, it was suggested that the higher estrogen level or the more number of maturation follicles on HCG day were more likely to promote the emergence of conjoined oocytes.
Exploring Patient Perceptions of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation as a Treatment for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Stillianesis G , Cavaleri R , Summers SJ , Tang CY
Published: June 2021

Background: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a form of non-invasive brain stimulation, represents a novel avenue for the management of chronic musculoskeletal pain. Despite evidence for the effectiveness of rTMS in chronic pain conditions, the clinical uptake of rTMS remains limited. One plausible reason for this discrepancy may be a lack of understanding regarding patient perceptions and their willingness to engage with rTMS. Therefore, this study aimed to explore patient perceptions of rTMS as a treatment for chronic musculoskeletal pain. Methods: Using a phenomenological approach, this qualitative study utilised a semi-structured interview to explore overall knowledge, pre-conceived concerns and attitudes regarding rTMS as a treatment for chronic musculoskeletal pain. All participants had a diagnosis of chronic musculoskeletal pain, a history of seeking treatment, and no prior experience with rTMS. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. Results: Majority of the participants were willing to consider the use of rTMS as a treatment option, with most having high expectations regarding the effectiveness of the treatment due to its sophisticated appearance. Acceptance to utilise rTMS was influenced by knowledge of pain, cost and travel, and the perceived sophistication of the intervention.Conclusions: This is the first qualitative study to the authors’ knowledge that explores the perception of rTMS as a treatment among people with chronic musculoskeletal pain, a key gap in the current literature. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation appears to be accepted as a treatment option amongst individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Adequate levels of funding support, accessibility and the need for medical professions to endorse the treatment are important considerations that influenced uptake. Developing targeted strategies to address these considerations may encourage use of rTMS in a clinical chronic pain setting.
Design, Characterization, X-ray Single-crystal, Potentiometric Measurements, Molecular Modeling and Biomedical Applications of Thiosemicarbazones
Authors: El-Sherif Ahmed , El-Sisi Abeer A. , Ali Mohamed , Ramdan Sohair F. , AlTaweel Osama , El-Mageed Ahmed I. A. Abd
Published: June 2021

Series of thiosemicarbazone compounds ((E)-2-((E)-1-(2-(p-tolyl)hydrazono)propan-2-ylidene)hydrazine-1-carbothioamide (TSC1), (E)-N-ethyl-2-((E)-1-(2-(p-tolyl)hydrazono)propan-2-ylidene)hydrazine-1-carbothioamide (TSC2) and (E)-N-phenyl-2-((E)-1-(2-(p-tolyl)hydrazono)propan-2-ylidene)hydrazine-1-carbothioamide)(TSC3) were synthesized and fully characterized by assistance of diverse physicochemical and spectroscopic tools like X-ray single-crystal, IR, mass, 1HNMR, Uv-Vis,…etc. potentiometric measurements, molecular modeling, as well as biological and antitumor activities screening. We have calculated and discussed the thermodynamics and protonation constants of TSC1 compound as a representative from the novel synthesized thiosemicarbazones. The solution speciation of different species was studied in accordance with pH. Molecular parameters of the optimized structures were calculated and discussed. The X-ray single crystal of TSC2 and TSC3 compounds have been established where TSC2 crystallizes in P21/c, a = 11.2343 (6) Å, b = 11.2575 (7) Å, c =11.8995 (8) Å, α = 90.00°, β = 94.476(7) °, γ = 90.0°, V = 1500.34 (16) Å3, Z = 4, however, TSC3 crystallizes in the space group P21/c, a = 27.958 (12) Å, b= 12.072 (5) Å, c = 9.833 (4) Å, α = 90.0°, β = 93.117(11) °, γ = 90.0°, V = 3486.75 Å3, Z = 7. Considering the antimicrobial activities and correlating structure-activity relationship for the synthesized compounds, TSC1 molecule behaves as a promising candidate as an antifungal agent versus Candida albicans. Consequently, that would be very helpful in the field of medicinal chemistry especially as antimicrobial agents. The results are of vital significance to the chemistry of antimicrobial agents.
Limited Effects on Patient Outcomes of Conjoint Tendon Release in Anterolateral Muscle-Sparing Total Hip Arthroplasty
Authors: tanaka hidetatsu , Yamada Norikazu , Kurishima Hiroaki , Mori Yu , Sakamoto Takashi , Oyama Masamizu , Aizawa Toshimi
Published: June 2021

Background: The anterolateral muscle-sparing total hip arthroplasty (THA) in the supine position is advantageous owing to the very low-dislocation rate and excellent leg length discrepancy control. However, femur exposure is challenging. Although the conjoined external rotators tendon (CERT) release is effective in improving femoral access, the effects on clinical outcomes remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and radiographic results of CERT release in the anterolateral muscle-sparing THA approach.Methods: The study was performed as a retrospective cohort study and included 85 hips in 85 patients who underwent primary anterolateral THA. Clinical and radiographic outcomes were investigated 6 months and 1 year after THA (CERT-preserved and non-released patients). The Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) hip score, JOA Hip-disease Evaluation Questionnaire (JHEQ), forgotten joint score (FJS) and the 36 short-form questionnaires (SF-36 mental and physical) were evaluated. The leg length discrepancy, cup inclination and stem orientation were evaluated with radiographs.Results: Among all the included hips, 37 patients (43.5%) retained the CERT, and 48 patients (56.5%) included the released CERT. There were no significant differences in the JOA hip scores, JHEQ, FJF-12 and SF-36 between the released and non-released groups. There were significant differences in sagittal stem alignments between groups.Conclusion: The CERT release in anterolateral muscle-sparing THA has a limited effect on post-operative clinical outcomes. The CERT release improved the femur exposure and is more invasive than the preserved CERT. We infer that the CERT should be maintained in patients with wide range of motions, and release the CERT in inadequate femur canal preparation cases.
Social Care for the Elder Disabled Women in Urban China: The Roles of Community
Authors: Li Yan
Published: June 2021

Background

This article concentrates on analyzing the community care for urban disabled elderly women. With the emergence of aging society in China and the empty nest Chinese families, the number of the elderly who can't take care of themselves is increasing. With the miniaturization of family size and the weakening of family pension function, the traditional family pension in China is facing great challenges. On the one hand, a growing number of disabled elderly women are in urgent need of care, they have many difficulties in daily life, including poor health status, losing spouses and living alone, cannot support themselves economically, lack of spiritual life, and mostly relying on their children to take care of them. On the other hand, the family's function of providing for the aged is weakened, and the traditional way of care is impacted by the changes of modern society.
Methods

Based on a qualitative study in Beijing, this article examines the demand for care from the disabled elder women and the current supply of community care for the disabled elder women.
Results

After analyzing the demand for care from elder disabled women and current community care, this study puts forward the existing problems and the reasons behind the community care for the disabled elder women. This article discusses that community care system for disabled elderly women in urban areas should focuses on four aspects: life care, medical care, spiritual consolation and emergency assistance.
Conclusions

The urban disabled elder women living care service system should be constructed. It mainly provides daily life care for the disabled elder women, and the main body of the service is home-based elderly care service centre, community day care centre, and the elderly's family members or some volunteers. A protection mechanism should be improved to support elder disabled women from three aspects: protection system, fund guarantee and services from health and social cafe staff.