bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quarantine Effect on Psychological Health Among People of Karachi, Pakistan Due to Pandemic of COVID-19.
Authors: Rizwan Rabeea , Shaikh Areeba , Razzak Shama , Naqvi Sadaf , Khan Rosheena Nabeel , Nusrat Butool
Published: February 2021

Background: The coronavirus diseases (COVID-19) pandemic has been substantially affecting the life of people worldwide, especially when World Health Organization declared it as a global pandemic in the second week of March 2020. It produced momentous anguish throughout the biosphere. Apart from the increased in COVID infested reports, it instigated a considerable disturbance to psychological healthiness in the affected nations. Many nation states across the world, had executed a countrywide constrainment on all human activities and jobs to control the spread of the virus. The present study is an attempt to find out psychological distress among people residing in Pakistan during the lockdown.Methods: Four hundred and forty three participants that were inhabitants of Karachi, Pakistan were asked to complete questionnaire. It was conducted online to maintain quarantine effect including questions about symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and family affluence according to Depression anxiety and stress scale 21 (DAAS-21 scale). Selection of participants was done by consecutive sampling method.Results: The results indicated that people who were economically weak and unstable to endure the lockdown were generally affected. While awareness and fear of getting COVID-19 affluence was found to be negatively correlated with stress, anxiety, and depression. Among gender females were experiencing stress, anxiety, and depression more than males and the most affected age group were adults. Conclusion: Moderate depression, severe anxiety and lower level of stress was seen in the population of Karachi during sudden first lockdown due to spread of COVID-19. Government officials and other establishments may take the support and corporation of professionals related to psychiatry and psychotherapy to assist in overwhelming the psychosocial problems among the homeland related to COVID-19 lockdown.
Identification of Crucial Methylation Genes Associated With Immune Cell Infiltration in Twin-to-twin Transfusion Syndrome Using Co-methylation Analysis
Authors: Li Chuang , Wang Yuan , Liu Caixia , Yin Shaowei
Published: February 2021

Background: DNA methylation (DNAm), is an important transcriptional regulation mechanism, relevant to various diseases. Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is a complication in twin pregnancies resulting from disproportionate blood circulation. Survivors of TTTS show a high risk of neurodevelopmental abnormalities, particularly in the hippocampus, which is important in learning and memory. Here, we investigate gene expression and DNAm in hippocampus tissues of TTTS specimens. Methods: DNAm and gene expression levels were compared among the three groups: 10 recipients, 10 donors, and 10 matched control, using methylation microarray. We further explored the immune infiltration of six immune cell sub-populations using EpiDISH analysis. The methylated sites related to immune cell infiltration were identified using the WGCNA package. We explored the core methylation genes in the protein-protein interaction network using the MCODE plugin in Cytoscape software. Results: There were 188 differential methylation sites among three groups. Based on WGCNA, we found that the turquoise module containing 174 CpG sites is significantly related to the immune infiltration level. And four hub genes correlated with immune infiltration level, namely, PTPRJ, FYN, LYN, and AKT1, and were identified using gene sub-network analysis. Conclusions: We identify the four hub methylation genes related to immune infiltration in the TTTS. The molecular function of hub genes is still explored in the future research.
An Empirical Study on the Evaluation of the RDF Storage Systems
Authors: mahria bilal ben , Chaker Ilham , Zahi Azeddine
Published: February 2021

In this paper, we introduce three new implementations of non-native methods for storing RDF data. These methods named RDFSPO, RDFPC and RDFVP, are based respectively on the statement table, property table and vertical partitioning approaches. As important, we consider the issue of how to select the most relevant strategy for storing the RDF data depending on the dataset characteristics. For this, we investigate the balancing between two performance metrics, including load time and query response time. In this context, we provide an empirical comparative study between on one hand the three proposed methods, and on the other hand the proposed methods versus the existing ones by using various publicly available datasets. Finally, in order to further assess where the statistically significant differences appear between studied methods, we have performed a statistical analysis, based on the non-parametric Friedman test followed by a Nemenyi post-hoc test. The obtained results clearly show that the proposed RDFVP method achieve highly competitive computational performance against other state-of-the-art methods in terms of Load Time and Query Response Time.
Prognostic Significance of Preoperative Serum Uric Acid to Lymphocyte Ratio in Advanced Gastric Cancer A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis
Authors: Liu Li Heng , Hu Shan Shan , Liao Cheng Lei , wang ziwei
Published: February 2021

Purpose: Gastric cancer ranks sixth and second in incidence and mortality among all cancer. The purpose of our research was to evaluate the prognostic value of uric acid to lymphocyte ratio (ULR) for advanced gastric cancer (AGC) patients after gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy.Methods: In this research, we included 287 AGC patients underwent gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy. These patients were followed up for 5 years, and their clinicopathological data were collected. All patients were divided into two groups based on the preoperative ULR level. Then we established the propensity score matching (PSM) cohort to confirm our results. Finally, The clinical characteristics and survival indexes of the two groups in the PSM cohort and the entire cohort were compared. Results：We found that age and gender were significantly correlated with the ULR level. Multivariate analysis for the entire cohort and PSM cohort showed that high levels of ULR, poor differentiation, postoperative pathology of T4 stage, and regional lymph node metastasis were independent prediction factors for poor outcomes of overall survival (OS) and Disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with AGC after gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy. Survival analysis showed that the OS and DFS in the high level ULR group were significantly shorter than in the low level ULR group (log-rank P < 0.001). Conclusion: High level ULR is a poor predictive factor for patients with AGC underwent gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy, and high levels of ULR predict shorter OS and DFS.
Sporadic, Trauma-Induced Pancreatic Desmoid Tumor: Case Report of a Rare Disease and Literature Review
Authors: zhu zhongfei , Song Bin , Jin Gang
Published: February 2021

Background:Desmoid tumor (DT) is a rare neoplasm. It is a benign tumor, but it has the potential to become invasive. The number of reported intra-abdominal DT cases does not exceed 100. The etiology is usually associated with a surgery, with the tumor occurring especially at the surgical margins. Cases induced by trauma have not been reported before. Case presentation:Here we report of a case of a 15-year-old boy who fell and was hit in his abdomen by his bicycle’s handle. He was referred to our unit due to the yellowing of the skin and sclera. We assumed it to be pancreatic adenocarcinoma because he had obstructive jaundice, a high level of the carbohydrate antigen 19-9 and the diagnosis of abdominal magnetic resonance imaging scan, which demonstrated pancreatic cancer.Elective surgery was performed based on a presumptive diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemical analysis on the resected tumor concluded a diagnosis of pancreatic DT. After 48 months of follow up, the patient still shows no sign of recurrence. Conclusion:Based on the reviewed literature, curative resection is the recommended treatment for pancreatic DT, and the rate of recurrence for sporadic pancreatic DT is low.
Serial Circulating Tumor DNA Identification Associated with the Efficacy and Prognosis of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer
Authors: Zhou Yidong , Xu Yaping , Wang Changjun , Gong Yuhua , Zhang Yanyan , Yao Ru , Li Peng , Zhu Xiuli , Bai Jing , Guan Yanfang , Xia Xuefeng , Yang Ling , Yi Xin , Sun Qiang
Published: February 2021

Background: Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) provides a promising noninvasive alternative to evaluate the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) in breast cancer. Methods: Herein, we collected 63 tissue (aspiration biopsies and resected tissues) and 206 blood samples (baseline, during chemotherapy (Chemo), after chemotherapy (Post-Chemo), after operation (Post-Op), during follow-up) from 32 patients, and preformed targeted deep sequencing with a customed 1,021-gene panel. Results: As the results, TP53 (43.8%) and PIK3CA (40.6%) were the most common mutant genes in the primary tumors. At least one tumor-derived mutation was detected in the following number of blood samples: 21, baseline; 3, Chemo; 9, Post-Chemo; and 5, Post-Op. Four patients with pathologic complete response had no tissue mutation in Chemo and Post-Chemo blood. Compared to patients with mutation-positive Chemo or Post-Chemo blood, the counterparts showed a superior primary tumor decrease (median, 86.5% versus 54.6%) and lymph involvement (median, one versus 3.5). All five patients with mutation-positive Post-Op developed distant metastases during follow-up, and the sensitivity of detecting clinically relapsed patients was 71.4% (5/7). The median DFS was 9.8 months for patients with mutation-positive Post-Op but not reached for the others (HR 23.53; 95% CI, 1.904–290.9; p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Our study shows that sequential monitoring of blood ctDNA was an effective method for evaluating NCT efficacy and patient survival. Integrating ctDNA profiling into the management of LABC patients might improve clinical outcome.Trial registration: This prospective study recruited LABC patients at Peking Union Medical College Hospital (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02797652).
Spatial Accessibility to Primary Care in Dual Public-Private Health System in Malaysia: A Case Study in Rural Selangor
Authors: Hamid Jabrullah Ab , Juni Muhamad Hanafiah , Manaf Rosliza Abdul , Ismail Sharifah Norkhadijah Syed , Lim Poh Ying
Published: February 2021

Background:Disparities of access to health services in rural areas is a global health issue, especially in middle income countries including Malaysia. Recent method called enhanced two-step floating catchment area (E2SFCA) exhibit promising results in quantifying the health care accessibility. This study aimed to describe and explore the pattern of spatial accessibility to primary care services based on secondary data.Methods:The E2SFCA method were adapted to measure the level of accessibility to primary care across rural area in Selangor state of Malaysia, with slight modification to suit our local context considering for public and private providers as well as incorporating clinic’s availability factor into the original formula. For each provider, spatial pattern of accessibility scores was mapped, spatial autocorrelation local Moran’s I and Getis-Ord-Gi* was performed and the degree of equality was computed based on Gini index.Results:Areas with high E2SFCA scores mainly concentrated encircling the periphery of the large urban areas at the centre of the state, largely contributed by the private sector whereas low E2SFCA scores areas observed predominantly at the northern region and along the coastal region. As a whole, the E2SFCA scores across rural Selangor population was fairly equal but lower degree of equality was observed at the northern region of the state.Conclusions:The level and distribution of E2SFCA scores reflects the performance of the primary health care. Findings from this study provides insight for the health authorities to identify disparities of access to primary care services and areas that need attention, hence would be basis for future health care planning and resource distribution.
Monocyte Distribution Width (MDW) as novel inflammatory marker with prognostic significance in COVID-19 patients
Authors: Riva Giovanni , Castellano Sara , Nasillo Vincenzo , Ottomano Anna Maria , Bergonzini Giuliano , Paolini Ambra , Lusenti Beatrice , Milić Jovana , Biasi Sara De , Gibellini Lara , Cossarizza Andrea , Busani Stefano , Girardis Massimo , Guaraldi Giovanni , Mussini Cristina , Manfredini Rossella , Luppi Mario , Tagliafico Enrico , Trenti Tommaso
Published: February 2021

Background: Monocyte Distribution Width (MDW), a new cytometric parameter correlating with cytomorphologic changes occurring during massive monocyte activation, has recently been described as promising early biomarker of sepsis. Similar to sepsis, in SARS-CoV-2-associated disease (COVID-19) monocyte/macrophage subsets are considered key mediators of the life-threatening hyper-inflammatory disorder –commonly defined as ‘cytokine storm’– which is part of the complex infection-associated immune dysregulation observed in severe COVID-19 cases (possibly constituting a kind of viral sepsis). Therefore, in this work, we aimed at investigating, for the first time, possible roles of MDW testing in the monitoring of COVID-19 patients.Methods: We longitudinally measured MDW values (readily available along with automated blood cell count) in a cohort of 87 patients with COVID-19 diagnosis, consecutively admitted to our clinics in early 2020, due to aggravation of their clinical status. Statistical analyses were then applied to correlate MDW values with inflammatory markers, disease severity, clinical trajectories and final outcome.Results: We initially found significant direct correlations between MDW and different inflammatory markers routinely assessed during hospitalization, namely CRP (p<0.001), fibrinogen (p<0.001) and ferritin (p<0.01). Moreover, high MDW values resulted remarkably associated with fatal outcome of severe COVID-19 patients (AUC=0.76, 95% CI: 0.66-0.87, sensitivity 0.75, specificity 0.70, MDW threshold 26.4; RR=4.91, 95% CI: 1.73-13.96; OR=7.14, 95% CI: 2.06-24.71). Furthermore, when evaluating MDW dynamics in COVID-19 cases with longer follow-up, we frequently observed progressive MDW increment in patients with worsening inflammation, while clinical recovery was consistently associated with MDW decrease. Of note, MDW evaluation may also help to assess the response to immunomodulatory treatments, such as tocilizumab. Conclusions: Our pilot study shows that MDW can be useful in the monitoring of COVID-19 patients, as this innovative hematologic biomarker is (i) easy and rapid to obtain, (ii) directly related to the activation state of a fundamental inflammatory cell subset (i.e. monocytes, pivotal in both cytokine storm and sepsis immunopathogenesis), (iii) well correlated with clinical severity of COVID-19-associated inflammatory disorder, and, in turn, (iv) endowed with relevant prognostic significance. Additional studies are needed to define further the clinical impact of MDW testing in the management of COVID-19 patients.
Comparing the Diagnostic Accuracy of HbA1c for Pre-Diabetes and Diabetes Between Foreign-Born and Swedish-Born Primary Healthcare Patients
Authors: Taloyan Marina , Salminen Helena , Melin Fredrik , Steiner Kristin Hjörleifdottir , Östenson Claes-Göran
Published: February 2021

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of HbA1c in detecting individuals with abnormally elevated blood glucose levels between foreign-born and Swedish-born primary healthcare patients. The secondary aim was to approximate appropriate HbA1c cut off values for the different populations to yield better sensitivity and specificity.MethodsData analysed in this study was collected in the Programme 4D (Four Diagnoses). Patients aged 18-74 years visiting Flemingsberg and Jakobsberg healthcare centres between years 2013-2015 were inquired about inclusion in the study. Exclusion criteria included having a diagnosis of diabetes. Screening included HbA1c, OGTT (including fasting plasma glucose) and questionnaires regarding country of birth as well as prediabetes/diabetes risk assessment questionnaires. In order to calculate diagnostic accuracy of HbA1c-testing, subjects with either both OGTT and HbA1c results and both fP-glucose and HbA1c results were included in the calculation. This totalled in 757 out of the 830 patients.ResultsOnly 22 of 623 patients had elevated results on all three tests. For Swedish-born patients an HbA1c cut off of 42 mmol/mol yielded 12.7% sensitivity and the ROC (Receiver Operating Curve) analysis gave an AUC (Area Under Curve) of 0.756 (0.702-0.810 [95% CI]). For foreign-born patients, an HbA1c cut off value of 42 mmol/mol yielded 19.7% sensitivity and the ROC analysis gave an AUC of 0.6975 (0.646-0.749 [95% CI]).ConclusionsThe diagnostic accuracy for HbA1c in detecting prediabetes and diabetes might be better for the Swedish-born than the foreign-born group. For both groups, an HbA1c cut off value of 34 mmol/mol would yield a sensitivity of >70% which can be considered for further investigation. Comparing the AUC for the two groups might indicate greater diagnostic accuracy for the test in the Swedish-born population than the foreign-born population.
Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity of Agbr Photocatalyst via Constructing Heterogeneous Junctions With Reduced Graphene
Authors: Zhang Tongtong , Yin Qi , Zhang Menghan , Zhang Siyu , Shao Yanning , Fang Liyu , Yan Qishe , Sun Ximeng
Published: February 2021

A series of rGO/AgBr heterojunction photocatalysts were fabricated through a facile solvothermal method. The rGO/AgBr heterostructures were characterized by XPS, XRD, UV-Vis DRS, SEM, TEM, PL and the transient photocurrent responses. The XRD, SEM, XPS and TEM analyzes indicated that the graphene and silver bromide were successfully compounded without other impurities. The UV-Vis DRS exhibited that the composites have better optical properties than pure silver bromide. The PL and the transient photocurrent responses demonstrated that the addition of graphene significantly promotes the separation of photogenerated electrons and holes. Subsequently, the photocatalytic activities of rGO/AgBr composites were studied by degrading Rhodamine B (RhB). It turned out that the degradation rate of RhB by the rGO/AgBr heterojunction photocatalysts were significantly higher than that by pure AgBr. What’s more, to study the photocatalytic degradation mechanism of RhB by rGO/AgBr heterostructures, the trapping experiments were used to identify the main active components. This work confirmed that the photocatalytic degradation performance of the catalyst was greatly improved after doping graphene, which provided certain data support for degradation of organic contaminants in water.
Discrimination in Healthcare, Experiences of Nurses, Physicians and Patients: A Qualitative Content Analysis
Authors: Hosseinabadi-farahani Mohammad javad , Fallahi-khoshknab Masoud , Arsalani Narges , Hosseini Mohammadali , Mohammadi Eesa
Published: February 2021

Background: Justice in health is one of the main concerns of health organizations, and discrimination in health care is one of the negative outcomes to achieving this goal. Hence, a full understanding of the phenomenon of discrimination in health care and adopting strategies to eliminate it is necessary. The present study was conducted to determine the experiences of nurses, physicians, and patients of discrimination in health care. Methods: The present qualitative content analysis study was conducted between 2019 and 2020. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 18 participants (2 physicians, 3 nursing supervisors, 2 head nurses, 4 clinical nurses, 2 nursing assistants, and 3 hospitalized patients) in one public and one private hospital in the city of Tehran. The participants were selected by purposive sampling, which continued until saturation of data. Data obtained were analyzed using Graneheim and Lundman method.Results: Four main categories and 14 subcategories were extracted from data analysis: 1) Habitual discrimination (everyday discrimination in health centers, ignoring patient rights, low levels of trust in medical staff); 2) interpersonal relationships (expectations of associates, respect for colleagues and friends, the possibility of the occurrence of similar situations, reciprocating people’s favors); 3) shortage of health care resources (shortage of medical equipment, heavy workload, infrastructures of medical centers, lack of access to physicians); and 4) Favoritism (ethnicity, favoritism as a common method, and as the ultimate solution to problems).Conclusion: The present study revealed certain dimensions of discrimination in health care that remain hidden in many quantitative studies. Thus, it appears that health system managers will be able to move towards eliminating discrimination in health care and providing ethical care by considering these issues and adopting appropriate strategies.
A Retrospective Study on Sex Difference in Patients With Urolithiasis: Who Is More Vulnerable to Chronic Kidney Disease?
Authors: Li Ching-Chia , Chien Tsu-Ming , Lu Yen-Man , Chou Yii-Her
Published: February 2021

Background: Urolithiasis is considered a vital public health issue with a substantial burden on kidney function. Additionally, only few reports focused on the gender difference in patients with urolithiasis. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the clinical characteristics of sex difference and their potential risk for chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with urolithiasis.Methods: Patients diagnosed with stone disease from 2013 to 2018 were retrospectively reviewed and divided into two groups by gender. Clinical demographic characteristics, stone location, stone composition, urine chemistries, and renal function were investigated. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess the relationship and potential risk of CKD between sex groups.Results: A total of 1,802 stones were included: 1,312 from men and 490 from women. Female patients had higher rate of hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. Male patients predominantly had calcium-containing stones, especially calcium oxalate stone, uric acid stone, and struvite stone. Carbonate apatite stone was more frequently found in women. Complex surgeries such as percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) and ureteroscopic lithotripsy (URSL) were more frequently performed in women than that in men. Multivariate analysis confirmed that age >60 years (odds ratios [ORs] = 6.36; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.8–10.8), female sex (ORs = 5.31; 95% CI 3.3–8.4), uric acid stone (ORs = 3.55; 95% CI 2.0–6.4), hypertension (OR = 7.20; 95% CI 3.8–13.7), and diabetes (OR = 7.06; 95% CI 3.1–16.2) were independent predictors of poor prognoses in CKD.Conclusions: Gender is significantly associated with higher prevalence of CKD among patients with urolithiasis. Therefore, women with stone disease may need close renal function monitoring during follow-up.
Decellularization of kidney tissue: Comparison of sodium lauryl ether sulfate and sodium dodecyl sulfate for allotransplantation in rat
Authors: Keshvari Mohammad Amin , Afshar Alireza , Daneshi Sajad , Khoradmehr Arezoo , Baghban Mandana , Muhaddesi Mahdi , Behrouzi Pouya , Miri Mohammad Reza , Azari Hossein , Nabipour Iraj , Shirazi Reza , Mahmudpour Mehdi , Tamadon Amin
Published: February 2021

Background: Chronic kidney diseases and end stage renal disease are growing threats worldwide. Tissue engineering is a new hope to surpass the current limitations such as the shortage of donor. To do so, the first step would be fabrication of an intact decellularized kidney scaffold. In the current study, an automatic decellularization device was developed to perfuse and decellularize male rats' kidneys using both sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and to compare their efficacy in kidney decellularization and post-transplantation angiogenesis.Methods: After anesthesia, kidneys were perfused with either 1% SDS solution for 4 h or 1% SLES solution for 6 h. The decellularized scaffolds were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, periodic acid Schiff, Masson’s trichrome, and Alcian blue to determine cell removal and glycogen, collagen and glycosaminoglycan contents, respectively. Moreover, scanning electron microscopy was performed to evaluate the cell removal and preservation of microarchitecture of both SDS and SLES scaffolds. Additionally, DNA quantification assay was applied for all groups in order to measure residual DNA in the scaffolds and normal kidney. In order to demonstrate biocompatibility and bioactivity of the decellularized scaffolds two tests were done. The scaffolds were recellularized with the human umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (hUC-MSCs). In addition, the allotransplantation was performed in back muscle and angiogenesis was evaluated.Results: Complete cell removal in both SLES and SDS groups was observed in scanning electron microscopy and DNA quantification assays. Moreover, the extracellular matrix architecture of rat kidney in the SLES group was significantly preserved better than the SDS group. The hUC-MSCs were successfully migrated from the cell culture plate surface into the SDS and SLES decellularized scaffolds. The formation of blood capillaries and vessels were observed in the kidney allotransplantation in both SLES and SDS decellularized kidneys.Conclusions: We demonstrated that both SLES and SDS could be promising tools in kidney tissue engineering. The better preservation of extracellular matrix than SDS, introduces SLES as the solvent of choice for kidney decellularization.
Design, synthesis and evaluation of benzimidazole-NsCOXis hybrids for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Kaur Sukhvir , Minhas Richa , Kaur Birpal , bansal Yogita , Bansal Gulshan
Published: February 2021

Usage of an acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor and a non-selective COX inhibitor (NsCOXi) have been documented to exhibit significantly protective and recuperative effects in AD patients. Therefore, it is hypothesised that a compound capable of exhibiting both AChE inhibition and anti-inflammatory activities can be potential pluripotent drug candidate for de-accelerating the progression of AD, as well as for providing relief from the associated inflammatory pathological indications. The present study involves the coupling of ibuprofen (IB) or naproxen (NP) to varied disubstituted amines (AChE inhibitor pharmacophore) through benzimidazole to develop two series of compounds i.e. IB01-IB05 and NP01-NP05 as pluripotent anti-AD compounds. All target compounds are evaluated for in vitro AChE inhibitory and COX inhibitory activities. Compounds IB01-IB05 are found more potent as compared to NP01-NP05. Compound IB04 being the most active in in vitro evaluation is selected for in vivo evaluation of memory restoration using scopolamine-induced amnesia model in mice. It significantly reverses the scopolamine-induced changes (i.e., escape latency time, mean time spent in target quadrant, brain AChE activity and oxidative stress) in a dose-dependent manner. IB04 at higher dose i.e. 8 mg/kg is significantly effective in lowering AD manifestation in comparison to donepezil. The findings indicate that Benzimidazole-NsCOXi derivatives having pyrrolidine moiety may prove a useful template for the development of new chemical moieties against AD with multiple potencies.
A Cosmological Fireball with Thirty-Percent Gamma-Ray Radiative Efficiency
Authors: Li Liang , Wang Yu , Ryde Felix , Pe'er Asaf , Zhang Bing , Guiriec Sylvain , Castro-Tirado Alberto , Kann David Alexander , Axelsson Magnus , Page Kim , Veres Peter , Bhat Narayana Perumpalli
Published: February 2021

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most powerful explosions in the universe. The composition of the jets is, however, subject to debate\cite{Peer2015,Zhang2018}. Whereas the traditional model invokes a relativistic matter-dominated fireball with a bright photosphere emission component\cite{Meszaros2000}, the lack of the detection of such a component in some GRBs\cite{Abdo2009} has led to the conclusion that GRB jets may be Poynting-flux-dominated\cite{Zhang2009}. Furthermore, how efficiently the jet converts its energy to radiation is poorly constrained. A definitive diagnosis of the GRB jet composition and measurement of GRB radiative efficiency requires high-quality prompt emission and afterglow data, which has not been possible with the sparse observations in the past. Here we report a comprehensive temporal and spectral analysis of the TeV-emitting bright GRB 190114C. Its fluence is one of the highest of all GRBs detected so far, which allows us to perform a high-significance study on the prompt emission spectral properties and their variations down to a very short timescale of about 0.1 s. We identify a clear thermal component during the first two prompt emission episodes, which is fully consistent with the prediction of the fireball photosphere model. The third episode of the prompt emission is consistent with synchrotron radiation from the deceleration of the fireball. This allows us to directly dissect the fireball energy budget in a parameter-independent manner\cite{Zhang2021} and robustly measure a nearly $30\%$ radiative efficiency for this GRB. The afterglow microphysics parameters can be also well constrained from the data. GRB 190114C, therefore, exhibits the evolution of a textbook-version relativistic fireball, suggesting that fireballs can indeed power at least some GRBs with high efficiency.
Genetic transformation technologies for the common dandelion, Taraxacum officinale
Authors: Dinkeloo Kasia , Cantero-Garcia Araceli Maria , Paik Inyup , Vulgamott Alexa , Ellington Andrew , Lloyd Alan
Published: February 2021

BackgroundTaraxacum officinale, or the common dandelion, is a widespread perennial species recognized worldwide as a common lawn and garden weed. Common dandelion is also cultivated for use in teas, as edible greens, and for use in traditional medicine. It produces latex and is closely related to the Russian dandelion, T. kok-saghyz, which is being developed as a rubber crop. Finally, the vast majority of extant common dandelions reproduce asexually through apomictically derived seeds-an important goal for many major crops in modern agriculture. There is increasing interest in the molecular control of important pathways as well as in the basic molecular biology and reproduction of common dandelion.ResultsHere we present an improved Agrobacterium-based genetic transformation and regeneration protocol, a protocol for generation and transformation of protoplasts using free DNA, and a protocol for leaf Agrobacterium infiltration for transient gene expression. These protocols use easily obtainable leaf explants from soil-grown plants and reagents common to most molecular plant laboratories. We show that common markers used in many plant transformation systems function as expected in common dandelion including fluorescent proteins, GUS, anthocyanin regulation, as well as resistance to kanamycin, basta, and hygromycin. ConclusionReproducible, stable and transient transformation methods are presented that will allow needed molecular structure and function studies of genes and proteins in T. officinale.
Preparation of β(1→3)/β(1→4)-xylooligosaccharides from red alga dulse by two xylanases from Streptomyces thermogriseus 
Authors: Fujii Yuki , Kobayashi Manami , Miyabe Yoshikatsu , Kishimura Hideki , Hatanaka Tadashi , Kumagai Yuya
Published: February 2021

Red alga dulse has xylan with the structure containing β(1→3)/β(1→4)-linkage. We previously prepared xylooligosaccharides (XOS) from dulse xylan, however, the product contains many D-xylose and less XOS having β(1→3)-linkage. To improve the efficiency of XOS production, we prepared two recombinant endo-xylanases from Streptomyces thermogriseus (StXyl10 and StXyl11). Comparing the kcat/Km value for dulse xylan, the value of StXyl10 was approximately two times higher than that of StXyl11. We then determined the suitable condition for XOS production. As a result, the dulse XOS was prepared by the successive hydrolysis of 10 mg/ml of dulse xylan by 0.5 µg/ml StXyl10 for 4 h at 50°C and then 2.0 µg/ml StXyl11 for 36 h at 60°C. The xylan was converted into 95.8% of XOS, including 59.7% of XOS having β(1→3)-linkage, and 0.97% of X1. Our study provide useful information for the production of XOS having β(1→3)-linkage.
LncRNA HOXD-AS1 functions as a ceRNA to promote hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis in zebrafish xenograft models
Authors: Zhang Ying , Wang Xiaolu , Qin Feng , Jia Shaochang
Published: February 2021

Background: A few studies have shown that long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) HOXD cluster antisense RNA 1 (HOXD-AS1) plays an important role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) metastasis as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA), but there is little in vivo evidence. This study aims to explore the zebrafish HCC xenograft as an in vivo metastasis model to verify the ceRNA network of HOXD-AS1. Methods: The quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) assay was used to assess the expression level of HOXD-AS1 in HCC cell lines. Knockdown of HOXD-AS1 or miR-130a-3p was performed by transfecting small interfering RNA (siRNA) or microRNA (miRNA) inhibitor, respectively. The proliferation and invasion of HCC cells in vitro were analyzed by CCK-8 and transwell assays. The growth and metastasis of HCC cells in vivo were assessed by zebrafish xenograft models.Results: We verified that HOXD-AS1 was overexpressed in all tested HCC cell lines than the normal hepatic cells. Silence of HOXD-AS1 suppressed cell proliferation and invasion in Hep3B and Huh7 HCC cell lines in vitro. In zebrafish xenograft models, knockdown of HOXD-AS1 also reduced the growth and metastasis of the two HCC cells. Moreover, downregulation of miR-130a-3p not only increased the HCC metastasis, but also rescued the metastasis which inhibited by silence of HOXD-AS1 in vitro and in vivo.Conclusions: Our study demonstrates the metastasis role of the HOXD-AS1/miR-130a-3p ceRNA network in HCC cells in vitro and in vivo, and these findings suggest that zebrafish xenograft model could be used for ceRNA mechanism verification in tumor metastasis.
Anti-Tumoral Effects of A Benzimidazolyl Carbamate Ester Derivative on Head and Neck Squamous Carcinoma Cell Lines
Authors: Nicolai Alice , Madia Valentina Noemi , Messore Antonella , Leo Alessandro De , Ialongo Davide , Tudino Valeria , Tortorella Elisabetta , Scipione Luigi , Taurone Samanta , Pergolizzi Tiziano , Artico Marco , Santo Roberto Di , Costi Roberta , Scarpa Susanna
Published: February 2021

Nocodazole is a well-known anti-proliferative agent, thanks to its anti-microtubule activity. Herein we report a benzimidazolyl carbamate ester derivative, namely RDS 60, as structural analog of this compound. We evaluated the anti-neoplastic properties of RDS 60 in two human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines. We found that RDS 60 significantly inhibited replication of both HNSCC without inducing any significant cytotoxic effect on non-transformed human dermal fibroblasts. The treatment of the two cell lines with 1 µM RDS 60 for 24 hours determined the incapacity of cells to develop normal bipolar mitotic spindles contemporaneously to a block of the cell cycle in G2/M and to cytoplasmic accumulation of cyclin B1. Moreover, doubling the dosage of RDS 60, an activation of apoptosis in both HNSCC was observed. Additionally, RDS 60 treatment reversed the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and inhibited cell migration and extracellular matrix infiltration of both HNSCC. These results demonstrate that this compound has a potent effect in blocking cell cycle, inducing apoptosis and inhibiting cell motility and invasion of the two HNSCC cell lines. Therefore, the ability of RDS 60 to attenuate the malignant phenotype of HNSCC suggests its potential role as an interesting and powerful tool for new approaches in treating these tumors.
Assessing the feasibility of a social worker-led non-communicable disease self-management intervention for low-income women elderly: a pilot trial
Authors: Wu Xueji , Chen Xiongfei , Pan Bingying , Liu Lan , Dong Xiaomei , Yu Wanwen , Parker David L. , Liao Bagen , Hu Min
Published: February 2021

Background Low-income Chinese women aged 60 years and older are more likely to have multiple non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Neither the independent healthcare system nor the social work system based on the communities is equipped to address their complex needs of health and daily care. The objective was to design and evaluate a social worker-led self-management program for older community-dwelling women with NCDs. MethodsA total of 144 and 138 subjects were recruited in the intervention and control groups from 10 communities in Guangzhou, China. The intervention group was designed as follows: each community recruited two social workers to carry out an NCD self-management program. A health care professional assisted social workers to complete six weekly two-hour sessions. The control group had no extra intervention. The evaluation was conducted at baseline and 12-months follow-up. Outcomes included changes in weight, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), lipid profile, self-management behaviors, and NCD-related knowledge. Results After 12 months, participants had gained 3.6 and 6.6 kg (P=0.025 for between-group difference) in the intervention and control groups, respectively. NCD-related knowledge increased by 15.4% and 11.3% (P<0.001 for between-group difference). The intervention group had a greater increase in self-reported exercise (87% to 95%) than the control group (81% to 85%) (P difference=0.031). General linear regression analysis showed that the intervention effects were significant for FPG (P=0.013) and total cholesterol (TC) (P=0.046).ConclusionsA social worker-led NCD self-management program successfully promoted NCD-related knowledge and decreased metabolic risk factors in low-income Cantonese women.Trial registrationChinese Clinical Trial Registry:Evaluation on effectiveness of Non-communicable Disease Self-management models led by social organization. ChiCTR1800015659. Registered 13 April 2018 - Retrospectively registered, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=15005
Does Baseline On-treatment Platelet Reactivity Impact Long-term Prognosis in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome and Thrombocytopenia Who Underwent Percutaneous Coronary Intervention?
Authors: Liu Ru , Li Tianyu , Yuan Deshan , Chen Yan , Tang Xiaofang , Gao Lijian , Zhang Ce , Jia Sida , Zhu Pei , Xu Ou , Gao Runlin , Xu Bo , Yuan Jjinqing
Published: February 2021

Objectives: This study analyzed the association between on-treatment platelet reactivity and long-term outcomes of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and thrombocytopenia (TP) in the real world. Methods: A total of 10724 consecutive cases with coronary artery disease who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were collected from January to December 2013. Cases with ACS and TP under dual anti-platelet therapy were enrolled from the total cohort. 5-year clinical outcomes were evaluated among cases with high on-treatment platelet reactivity (HTPR), low on-treatment platelet reactivity (LTPR) and normal on-treatment platelet reactivity (NTPR), tested by thromboelastogram (TEG) at baseline. Results: Cases with HTPR, LTPR and NTPR accounted for 26.2%, 34.4% and 39.5%, respectively. Cases with HTPR were presented with the most male sex, lowest hemoglobin level, highest erythrocyte sedimentation rate and most LM or three-vessel disease, compared with the other two groups. The rates of 5-year all-cause death, major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI), revascularization, stroke and bleeding were all not significantly different among three groups. Multivariable Cox regression indicated that, compared with cases with NTPR, cases with HTPR were not independently associated with all endpoints, as well as cases with LTPR (all P>0.05). Conclusions: In patients with ACS and TP undergoing PCI, 5-year all-cause death, MACCE, MI, revascularization, stroke and bleeding risk were all similar between cases with HTPR and cases with NTPR, tested by TEG at baseline, in the real world. The comparison result was the same between cases with LTPR and NTPR.
Bibliometric study of ‘overviews of systematic reviews’: evaluation of prevalence, citation and impact factor
Authors: Lunny Carole , Neelakant Trish , Chen Alyssa , Shinger Gavindeep , Stevens Adrienne , Tasnim Sara , Sadeghipouya Shadi , Adams Stephen , Zheng Yi Wen , Lin Lester , Yang Pei Hsuan , Dosanjh Manpreet , Ngsee Peter , Ellis Ursula , Shea Beverley J. , Reid Emma K. , Wright James M.
Published: February 2021

Background: Overviews synthesizing the results of multiple systematic reviews help inform evidence-based clinical practice. In this first of two companion papers, we evaluate the bibliometrics of ‘overviews of systematic reviews’, including their prevalence, number of citations, and factors affecting citation rates and journal impact factor.Methods: We searched MEDLINE, Epistemonikos and the Cochrane library databases. We applied eligibility criteria to identify overviews that: (a) aimed to focus on synthesizing reviews, (b) conducted a systematic search, (c) had a full methods section, and (d) examined a health intervention or clinical treatment effect. A multivariate regression was conducted to determine the association between citation density and impact factor and 6 predictor variables of interest. Results: We found 1218 overviews published from 2000 to 2020; the majority (73%) of which were published in the most recent 5-year period (2016-2020). We extracted a selection of these overviews (n=541; 44%) dated from 2000 to 2018. The 541 overviews were published in 307 journals; the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (8%), PLOS ONE (3%) and the Sao Paulo Medical Journal (2%) being the most prevalent. The majority of overviews (70%) were published in journals with impact factors between 0.05 and 3.97. The average citation rate was 90 (SD ±219.7) over 9 years, or 10 citations per overview per year. In multivariate analysis, overviews with a high number of citations and high journal impact factors tended to have more authors, larger sample sizes, be open access and report funding source. Conclusions: We found an 8 fold increase in the number of overviews from 2009 to 2020; and a representation of one published a day in 2020. Factors driving the increase in overviews include the exponential increase in the number of systematic reviews, the publication of Cochrane guidance on overview of reviews in 2009 and the subsequent publication of the first Cochrane overview in the same year. Our study found a significantly higher mean citation count of 10 overviews per year, published in journals with a mean impact factor of 4.4. These data indicate that, overall, overviews perform above average for the journals in which they publish. We also found that highly cited overviews in high impact factor journals had group authorship, large sample sizes, were openly accessible, and reported funding source.
Effect of adhesive strategy on non-carious cervical lesions pre-conditioned with bioactive glass air-abrasion: a randomised controlled clinical trial
Authors: Milly Hussam , Karkoutly Humam , Banerjee Avijit
Published: February 2021

Background: This double-blind randomised controlled clinical trial evaluated the effect of adhesive strategy on the performance of resin composite restorations in non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs) preconditioned using bioactive glass air-abrasion.Methods: One hundred teeth with NCCLs were assigned randomly into four experimental groups (n=25); A: air-abrasion + etch & rinse adhesive (AA+ER), B: air-abrasion + self-etch adhesive (AA+SE), C: etch & rinse adhesive (ER) and D: self-etch adhesive (SE). NCCLs were restored clinically using conventional resin composite placed incrementally. The lesions and restorations were evaluated at baseline, 3-months and 6-months according to the World Dental Federation (FDI) criteria. The level of statistical significance was established at p=0.05.Results: An increased retention rate was observed at 6-month recall within the AA+ER group. The retention rate of NCCLs restoration was affected significantly by the height of the NCCLs. NCCLs width and the height affected significantly the marginal adaptation of the restorations. Conclusion: Etch-and-rinse adhesive revealed a statistical improved retention rate when compared to self-etch adhesive in NCCLs pre-conditioned with bioactive glass air-abrasion at 6-months recall. NCCLs’ physical characteristics affected significantly the resin composite restoration performance.This clinical trial was registered in clinicaltrial.gov clinical registry under protocol # NCT04578717.
Effect of Visual Feedback During Ultrasound-Guided Interfascial Injection for Myofascial Pain Syndrome: A Prospective, Multicenter, Observational Clinical Trial
Authors: Hasuo Hideaki , Oomori Hideya , Yoshida Kohei , Fukunaga Mikihiko
Published: February 2021

Background: Expectations for treatment have a favorable effect on the subsequent course of pain and behavior in patients. It is not known whether receiving interfascial injection while patients view their ultrasound image with doctors (visual feedback) is associated with positive treatment expectations. Methods: This was a prospective, multicenter, observational clinical trial. We evaluated whether visual feedback during ultrasound-guided interfascial injection affects treatment expectations and the subsequent course of pain in patients with myofascial pain syndrome. Treatment expectations were set as mediators of pain using path analysis. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients who showed improvement in pain numerical rating scale score by 50% or more 14 days after initiation of treatment. Results: During 2019 and 2020, 136 outpatients received ultrasound-guided interfascial injection for myofascial pain syndrome. Of these, 65 (47.8%) patients received visual feedback during ultrasound-guided interfascial injection. Compared with the non-visual feedback group, the visual feedback group had higher expectations for treatment, immediately after interfascial injection, and their expectations were maintained at day 14 of treatment (p < .001). In the visual feedback group, 67.7% of patients showed improvement in pain numerical rating scale score by 50% or more at day 14 (95% confidence interval: 56.5–78.9), whereas such improvement was observed in only 36.6% of the non-visual feedback group (95% confidence interval: 25.3–47.9; p < .001). Path analysis revealed that visual feedback had the largest influence on pain numerical rating scale reduction at 14 days, which was indirectly via higher expectations for treatment (β = 0.434).Conclusions: Visual feedback during ultrasound-guided interfascial injection had a positive effect on the subsequent course of pain in patients with myofascial pain syndrome by increasing patients’ treatment expectations.Trial registration: UMIN000043160. Registered 28 January 2021 (registered retrospectively).