bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pathogen Detection and Genotyping With Trace Sample by A Phi29 Based Unbiased Exponential Amplification
Authors: Zhang Xi , Chen Jingjing , Xu Heling , Zhang Qi , Zhang Huan , Han Xiaohu , Chen Zeliang
Published: November 2021

Ticks are vectors for many infectious diseases such as spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsioses and borrelioses. Ticks are valuable material for pathogen ecology study. Ticks have several growth stages with significant varying size, and therefore, in most cases, the collected ticks cannot provide sufficient DNA for subsequent studies, particularly for multiple pathogen screening and genotyping. Unbiased pretreatment of the tick samples for subsequent analysis is an urgent need for subsequent ecological survey and other studies. Phi29 DNA polymerase, an enzyme with strand displacement activity, could exponentially amplify DNA randomly and non-biasedly, generating large quantities of DNA. In the present study, we developed a Phi29 based unbiased exponential amplification (PEA) assay for unbiased treatment of sample nucleic acid to provide sufficient DNA for genetic analysis. By using tick borne pathogen detection and genotype as a model, we tested and evaluated the feasibility of the assay. Nucleic acid were extracted from single ticks and subjected to PEA. The results showed that tick DNA could be amplified up to 10 5 folds. The amplified products were successfully used for pathogen screening and genotyping. With the amplified DNA from single tick, Rickettsia was successfully detected and genotyped. A new genotype of Rickettsia was identified from ticks collected from Dandong city, Liaoning province, Northeast China. This PEA assay is universal and can also be extended to other applications where samples are greatly limited.
A Clinical Nomogram For Predicting Preterm Birth in Women Who Conceived Through Assisted Reproductive Technology
Authors: Lin Yaduan , He Fanchen , Gao Rui , Liu Ting , Zhao Ke , He Jiang , Liu Chaoqun
Published: November 2021

Background: We used prepregnant and gestational characteristics as predictors to develop and validated a nomogram predicting the risk of preterm birth (PTB) in assisted reproductive technology (ART) treated women. Methods: The National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) was queried for singleton ART-treated pregnant women from 2015 to 2019. Multivariable cox regression was used to develop the early (< 32 weeks) or late (< 37 weeks) PTB risk model using both statistical significance and clinical importance criteria for variable selection. The predictive accuracy was assessed, and bootstrapping was used for validation. A nomogram was constructed for the presentation of the final model. Results: ART-treated women who were over 45 years old, black, obese, had a history of cesarean section and PTB, restarting ART within 3 months, prepregnant diabetes, chronic hypertension, gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, and eclampsia, had the highest risk for late and early-stage PTB. The nomogram with these variables accurately predicted PTB in ART women with a singleton pregnancy. (Brier score:0.121, calibration slope: 0.99, c-index: 0.684). Conclusion: We created a nomogram predicting the risk of early or late PTB in ART women with a singleton pregnancy, which could identify potentially at-risk women who seeking ART treatment and inform appropriate preterm care.
The Relation Between Host TLR9 -1486T/C, rs187084 Gene Polymorphisms and H. Pylori cagA, sodB, hsp60 and vacA Virulence Genes Among Gastric Cancer Patients
Authors: Nabiel Yasmin , Shenouda Ragy , Sultan Ahmad M , Shehata Ahmed , sultan amira M
Published: November 2021

Purpose: To identify different genotypes of TLR9 -1486T/C (rs187084) in patients with gastric cancer and reveal their relation to H. pylori virulence genes (cagA, sodB, hsp60 and vacA). Methods: Patients with gastric cancer were recruited to our study, diagnosed both endoscopically and histo-pathologically. H. pylori strains were isolated from gastric samples by culture and PCR amplification of glmM gene. Virulence genes of H. pylori; cagA, sodB, Hsp60 and vacA, were detected by multiplex PCR. Blood samples were used for genotyping of TLR9 -1486T/C (rs187084) by PCR-RFLP. Results: Out of 132 patients with gastric cancer, 106 (80.3%) were positive for H. pylori by both culture and PCR. Similar number of healthy participants were recruited as controls. The prevalence of virulence genes among the isolated H. pylori were 90.6%, 70.8%, 83.0% and 95.3% for cagA, sodB, hsp60 and vacA respectively. The vacA gene alleles had a prevalence of 95.3% for vacAs1/s2, 52.8% for vacAm1 and 42.5% for vacAm2. The CC genotype of TLR9 -1486T/C had a significantly higher frequency in gastric cancer patients when compared to healthy participants (P = 0.045). Furthermore, the CC genotype demonstrated a significantly higher association with H. pylori strains carrying sodB, hsp60 and vacAm1 virulence genes (P = 0.021, P = 0.049 and P = 0.048 respectively). Conclusions: Patients with CC genotype of TLR9 -1486T/C (rs187084) are at higher risk for development of gastric cancer and its co-existence with H. pylori strains carrying sodB, hsp60 or vacAm1 virulence genes might have a synergistic effect in development of gastric cancer.
Investigating The Prolonged Discharge Process in Pediatric Teaching Hospital of Tehran, Iran: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Vatankhoh Sodabeh , Chopani Azam , Aghdam Emir Tahmazi , Tavakoli Mohammad Esmaeel , Joudyian Nasrin , Nafar Hamideh
Published: November 2021

Background

The patient discharge process is one of the most important factors affecting patient satisfaction, which can affect the quality of services of hospitals, and its prolongation can be detrimental in bed management and result in admission delays for new patients. This study aimed to investigate the factors contributing to the prolongation of the discharge process in Tehran's pediatric teaching hospital.
Methods

The present study was a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out on 300 patients discharged from one of the pediatric teaching hospitals in Tehran in 2019. This study was conducted using a mixed-method and composed of two parts: quantitative and qualitative. Initially, in the quantitative stage, the statistical form was used, the average discharge time in different wards of the hospital was measured using the stopwatch method, and the data were analyzed using SPSS V. 25 software and descriptive statistics. Subsequently, to identify the causes of the prolonged process in some departments and identify practical solutions, a qualitative approach was used, including observations, file reviews, Focus Group Discussion (FGD), brainstorming with experts from the Quality Improvement Office, ward secretaries, clearance unit experts, pharmacy experts, and ward supervisors. Finally, the factors were prioritized and approved using the nominal group method.
Results

The average discharge time was 3 hours and 7 minutes; the shortest discharge time belonged to the blood ward, and the longest discharge time belonged to the kidney ward. The causes of delay in discharge were divided into two categories: organizational and human factors. The most crucial elements were the time required to issue discharge orders, write patient summaries, and maintain patient files.
Conclusion

For improving the quality of the discharge process and patient satisfaction, solutions such as having assistants write file summaries before the morning round, sending files out of the ward on time, hiring a circular secretary to collect patients' files from various wards, and controlling them using a standard checklist, nurses' training, and continuous supervision were proposed.
The Flip-Flop Neuron – A Memory Efficient Alternative for Solving Challenging Sequence Processing and Decision Making Problems
Authors: Kumari Sweta , Vigneswaran C , Chakrava V. Srinivasa
Published: November 2021

Sequential decision making tasks that require information integration over extended durations of time are challenging for several reasons including the problem of vanishing gradients, long training times and significant memory requirements. To this end we propose a neuron model fashioned after the JK flip-flops in digital systems. A flip-flop is a sequential device that can store state information of the previous history. We incorporate the JK flip-flop neuron into several deep network architectures and apply the networks to difficult sequence processing problems. The proposed architectures include flip-flop neural networks (FFNNs), bidirectional flip-flop neural networks (BiFFNNs), convolutional flip-flop neural networks (ConvFFNNs), and bidirectional convolutional flip-flop neural networks (BiConvFFNNs). Learning rules of proposed architectures have also been derived. We have considered the most popular benchmark sequential tasks like signal generation, sentiment analysis, handwriting generation, text generation, video frame prediction, lung volume prediction, and action recognition to evaluate the proposed networks. Finally, we compare the results of our networks with the results from analogous networks with Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) neurons on the same sequential tasks. Our results show that the JK flip-flop networks outperform the LSTM networks significantly or marginally on all the tasks, with only half of the trainable parameters.
LncRNA PCAT6 as a Predictor of Poor Colorectal Cancer Patient Prognosis: A TCGA Dataset Analysis
Authors: Han Lin , Sun Yanjun , Sun Dengqun
Published: November 2021

Background: The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA)) PCAT6 has been studied in many cancers, yet its relationship with colorectal cancer (CRC) remains poorly defined. Here, we conducted an analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database to better clarify the role of PCAT6 in this cancer type.Materials and Methods: Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were utilized to assess relative levels of PCAT6 in CRC tumors and normal tissues, while logistic regression analyses were utilized to compare the relationships between PCAT6 levels and clinicopathological findings. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression analyses were used to gauge correlations between PCAT6 and patient survival outcomes, while the biological roles of this lncRNA were investigated via a gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) approach.Results: PCAT6 levels were significantly correlated with CRC patient N stage (OR = 1.8 for N1&N2 vs. N0), lymphatic invasion (OR = 1.9 for Yes vs. No), M stage (OR = 2.1 for M1 vs. M0), CEA level (OR = 1.9 for >5 vs. ≤5), perineural invasion (OR = 1.9 for Yes vs. No), pathologic stage (OR = 1.9 for Stage IIIIV vs. Stage I/II), and neoplasm type (OR = 2.1 for rectal adenocarcinoma vs. colon adenocarcinoma) (all P < 0.05). CRC patients expressing higher PCAT6 levels exhibited poorer survival outcomes than those expressing low levels of this lncRNA (P = 0.017), and in univariate analyses, higher PCAT6 levels were linked to worse overall survival (OS) (HR = 1.540; 95% CI: 1.079-2.1997; P = 0.017), with this relationship also being preserved in a multivariate analysis (HR = 6.892; 95% CI: 1.713-27.727, P = 0.007). GSEA revealed high PCAT6 expression to be linked to differential DNA methylation enrichment, with high PCAT6 levels being associated with changes in base excision repair, cellular senescence, G2 M DNA damage checkpoint, chromatin-modifying enzyme, and gene silencing by RNA activity. Conclusions: PCAT6 represents a promising prognostic biomarker of poor CRC patient survival outcomes, with DNA methylation and RNA-mediated gene silencing being potentially promising mechanistic pathways whereby this lncRNA may shape patient outcomes.
Viral Strategies for Targeting Spinal Neuronal Subtypes in Adult Wild-Type Rodents
Authors: Kaur Jaspreet , Berg Rune W.
Published: November 2021

Targeting specific subtypes of interneurons in the spinal cord is primarily restricted to a small group of genetic model animals. Since the development of new transgenic model animals can be expensive and labor intensive, it is often difficult to generalize these findings and verify them in other model organisms, such as the rat, ferret or monkey, that may be more beneficial in certain experimental investigations. Nevertheless, endogenous enhancers and promoters delivered using an adeno-associated virus (AAV) have been successful in providing expression in specific subtypes of neurons in the forebrain of wildtype animals, and therefore may introduce a shortcut. GABAergic interneurons, for instance, have successfully been targeted using the mDlx promotor, which has recently been developed and is now widely used in wild type animals. Here, we test the specificity and efficiency of the mDlx enhancer for robust targeting of inhibitory interneurons in the lumbar spinal cord of wild-type rats. Since this has rarely been done in the spinal cord, we also test the expression and specificity of the CamKIIa and hSynapsin promoters. We found that mDlx does in fact target many neurons that contain an enzyme for catalyzing GABA, the GAD-65, with high specificity and a small fraction of neurons containing an isoform, GAD-67. Expression was also seen in some motor neurons. Viral injections using the CamKIIa enhancer infected in some glutamatergic neurons but also GABAergic neurons, whereas hSynapsin targets almost all the neurons in the lumbar spinal cord.
Association of 12-Month Contraceptive Supply Policy and Months of Oral Contraception Prescribed by Obstetrics and Gynecology Physicians: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Fuerst Megan , Schrote Kaitlin , Garg Bharti , Rodriguez Maria
Published: November 2021

Objective

This study sought to determine if there was a difference in the months of oral contraception prescribed by physicians living in U.S. states with a 12-month supply policy compared to physicians in states without a policy.
Methods

We conducted an exploratory descriptive study using a convenience sample of Obstetrics & Gynecology resident physicians (n=275) in the United States. Standard bivariate analyses were used to compare the difference between groups.
Results

Few physicians in both groups (3.8% with a policy and 1.4% without a policy) routinely prescribed a 12-month supply of contraception. The mean coverage prescribed by providers in states with and without a policy was 2.81 and 2.07 months (p<0.05).
Conclusions

The majority of physicians were unaware of 12-month contraceptive supply policies and unable to correctly write a prescription for 12-months of contraception, regardless of whether they lived in a state with a 12-month contraceptive supply policy. Physician education may be needed to effectively implement 12-month contraceptive supply policies.
Evaluation of Changes in Gastric Ph and Gastrine Concentrations in Horses Subjected to Inhalatory General Anesthesia in Dorsal Decubitus
Authors: Guerrero Jesus Leonardo Suarez , Brito Pedro Henrique Salles , Ferreira Marilia Alves , Arantes Julia de Asis , Rush Elidiane , Carregaro Adriano Bonfim , Doria Renata Gebara Sampaio
Published: November 2021

Background: In high-performance horses, it is reported that 50 to 90% have stomach disorders, especially gastritis and gastric ulceration, which compromises both, athletic performances, and health status. This work aims to stablish changes in gastric pH and gastrin hormone in horses submitted to general inhalation anesthesia and in supine position, to determine the occurrence of duodenogastric and gastroesophageal reflux. Eight mares fasted for eight hours, subjected to inhaled anesthesia and in supine position were monitored during the anesthetic period. Gastric pH, arterial blood gases and vital signs data were recorded.Results: In the post-anesthetic period, gastric pH was evaluated for 24 h, samples were collected at one-hour intervals. In addition, blood samples were collected for gastrin hormone evaluation before the anesthetic procedure (8-hour fast), during the anesthetic recovery period, and four months after the anesthetic procedure, 90 minutes after the morning meal. Gastric pH during the anesthetic period remained within physiological values (mean value 4.52 ± 1.69), without changes between times (p > 0.05). After anesthesia, mean gastric pH values increased, remaining alkaline during the 24 h of evaluation, differences between T0 (4.88±2.38), T5 (7.08±0.89), T8 (7,43±0,22), T9(7,28±0,36), T11 (7.26±0.71), T13 (6.74±0.90), and T17 (6.94±1.04) (p < 0.05) were observed. There was an increase in gastrin hormone in the post-anesthetic period (20.15±7.65 pg/ml) compared to baseline (15.15±3.82 pg/ml) (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The results obtained demonstrate that general inhalational anesthesia and dorsal decubitus in horses, for 90 min, promotes gastric pH alkalinization for 24hours after anesthesia, possibly induced by entero-gastric reflux. Therefore, gastric mucosa protectors should be considered preventively when horses are submitted to general anesthesia and supine.
What Was the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Low Back Pain? Data from the PAMPA Cohort, Brazil.
Authors: Caputo Eduardo L , Ferreira Paulo H , Feter Natan , Doring Igor R , Leite Jayne S , Alt Ricardo , Cassuriaga Júlia , Reichert Felipe F , Rombaldi Airton J , Silva Marcelo C da
Published: November 2021

Background: To evaluate how COVID-19 pandemic impacted low back pain (LBP) outcomes in southern Brazil. Methods: Data from the Prospective Study about Mental and Physical Health (PAMPA) Cohort were analyzed. Adults were recruited between June and July 2020 in the Rio Grande do Sul state using online-based strategies. Participants responded a self-reported, online questionnaire on LBP with two timepoints: before (retrospectively) and during COVID-19 pandemic. We assessed the presence of LBP, LBP-related activity limitation (no/yes), and LBP intensity (0 to 10 [strongest pain]). Results: From a total sample of 2,321 respondents (mean age: 37.6 ± 13.5; 75.4% women), the prevalence of LBP did not change significantly from before (74.7% [95%CI 72.3; 76.9]) to during the COVID-19 pandemic (74.2% [95%CI 71.9; 76.3]). However, an increased pain levels (β: 0.40; 95%CI 0.22; 0.58) and a higher likelihood for activity limitation due to LBP was observed during the pandemic (PR 1.14; 95%CI 1.01; 1.29). Longitudinal analyzes showed that age, gender, BMI, chronic diseases, physical activity and anxiety and depression symptoms, were associated with LBP during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: Although the prevalence of LBP did not change during the COVID-19 pandemic, LBP-induced impairment in daily activities and LBP intensity was higher during than before the pandemic. Sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics were associated with increased LBP and related outcomes.
Health-Related Quality of Life and Associated Factors in Chinese Menstrual Migraine Patients
Authors: Luo Wenxiu , Cao Xing , Zhao Jiayu , Yang Jiaming , Cen Yu , He Jinlong , Luo Jing , Zhong Yunling , Luo Ying , Wang Xinyue , Yang Liqiu , Feng Xingyu , Pang Xiaoqing , Luo Jiaming
Published: November 2021

Background

Menstrual migraine is a special form of migraine with significant impact on quality of life for those women afflicted. Presently, there is no study reported on quality of life in menstrual migraine patients. The study reported here aimed to assess the health-related quality of life and identify its associated factors among Chinese menstrual migraine patients.
Methods

The cross-sectional study group consisted of 109 patients with menstrual migraine and the control group consisted of 397 female patients with non-menstrual migraine. In total, 506 patients completed questionnaires for demographic and clinical information, Self-rating Idea of Suicide Scale, Hamilton Depression Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Scale, Headache Impact Test-6, Perceived Social Support Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Health-related quality of life was measured using the 36-Item Short Form Survey.
Results

Compared with non-menstrual migraine patients, five dimensions of health-related quality of life were all found to be significantly impaired in menstrual migraine patients. Headache frequency (ß=-0.218, P=0.014), the impact of headache on daily life (ß=-0.270, P=0.002), depression symptoms (ß=-0.345, P<0.001) were significantly associated with physical component summary, depression symptoms (ß= -0.379, P<0.001), social support (ß=0.270, P<0.001), suicidal ideation (ß=-0.344, P<0.001) were closely related to mental component summary.
Conclusion

Menstrual migraine patients had significantly poorer health-related quality of life in many domains than non-menstrual migraine patients. Headache frequency, the impact of headache on daily life, depression symptoms, social support and suicidal ideation were significantly associated with health-related quality of life in menstrual migraine patients.
Trial registration:

ChiCTR1800014343. Registered 01 July 2018 at Chinese Clinical Trial registry. http://www.chictr.org.cns
Lift-off reduction and patella tracking in Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) using a 3D printed patient-specific knee model
Authors: Mercader Alexandra , Ostner Isabella , Küppers Freya , Lueth Tim C. , Röttinger Heinz , Bigdeli Amir H.
Published: November 2021

The patellofemoral joint is greatly influenced by the geometry and position of the femur during knee flexion. After knee replacement surgery, the joint geometry is changed by the surface replacement and its kinematics by the orientation of the cutting planes planned by the surgeon. The technique presented in this study verifies the compatibility of the cutting method during total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with the geometry of the joint and the kinematics of knee flexion. To confirm the benefit of this method, three patient-specific knee models were printed in 3D. All models were made from the patient’s CT data and the patient’s measurement of flexion motion obtained with an infrared stereo camera. The models are operated according to three different techniques: Kinematic Alignment (KA), Measured Resection (MR) with 3 degrees of external rotation and MR with 9 degrees of external rotation. The resulting postoperative knees from the different alignment techniques are compared to the patient’s preoperative knee. The results show that the movement of the patella is modified after surgery on the model. The different alignments also lead to a variation in the behavior of the tibiofemoral joint. Based on these three examples, MR with an external orientation of the prosthesis results in a patellar movement closer to the preoperative movement. The KA method also reproduces the patella movement almost identically, but a lift-off appears at the tibiofemoral joint. The error observed for each cutting method between the pre-and postoperative patella position varies by a maximum of 5 degrees of rotation and 5 mm of translation, showing that the configuration has an overall small impact on the patellar movement. This study of three cases shows the importance of the preparation of the operation and the adjustment of the prosthesis for each specific patient using the 3D printed model.
Changes in the Density and Composition of Rhizosphere Pathogenic Fusarium and Beneficial Trichoderma Contributing to Reduced Root Rot of Intercropped Soybean
Authors: Chang Xiaoli , Xu Huiting , Yan Li , Zhu Dan , Wang Wei , Naeem Muhammd , Song Chun , Wu Xiaoling , Gong Guoshu , Chen Huabao , Zhang Min , Liu Taiguo , Chen Wanquan , Yang Wenyu
Published: November 2021

BackgroundThe dynamic of soil-borne disease is closely related to the rhizosphere microbial communities. Maize-soybean intercropping can suppress soybean root rot as compared to monoculture. However, it is still unknown whether rhizosphere microbial community participates in the regulation of intercropped soybean root rot.MethodsIn this study, the difference of rhizosphere Fusarium and Trichoderma community was compared between healthy or root-rotted soybean rhizosphere soil from soybean monoculture and maize-soybean intercropping, and the inhibitory effect of potential biocontrol Trichoderma against pathogenic Fusarium were examined.ResultsThe abundance of rhizosphere Fusarium was remarkably different between intercropping and monoculture, while Trichoderma was largely accumulated in healthy rhizosphere soil of intercropping rather than monoculture. Four rhizosphere Fusarium species identified were all pathogenic to soybean but displayed distinct composition and isolation proportion in the corresponding soil types. As the dominant and most aggressive species, F. oxysporum was more frequently isolated in diseased soil of monoculture. Furthermore, of three Trichoderma species identified, T. harzianum dramatically increased in the rhizosphere of intercropping rather than monoculture as compared to T. virens and T. afroharzianum. For in-vitro antagonism test, Trichoderma strains had antagonistic effects on F. oxysporum with the percentage of mycelial inhibition ranging of 50.59%-92.94%, and they displayed good mycoparasitic abilities against F. oxysporum through coiling around and entering into the hyphae, expanding along cell-cell lumen and even dissolving cell walls of target fungus.Conclusion﻿These results indicate maize-soybean intercropping significantly increase the density and composition proportion of beneficial Trichoderma to antagonist the pathogenic Fusarium species, thus contributing to the suppression of soybean root rot under intercropping.
Bupivacaine modulates the apoptosis and ferroptosis in bladder cancer via PI3K/AKT pathway
Authors: Hao Jianli , Zhang Weiqing , Huang Zeqing
Published: November 2021

Background
The study aimed to explore the effects of local anesthetic bupivacaine on bladder cancer cells in vivo and in vitro.
Methods
After T24 cells and 5637 cells were treated with different doses of bupivacaine (0-16 mM) for 24 h, MTT assay was used to detect the cytotoxicity, and bupivacaine (0.25, 0.5, 1 mM) was selected for subsequent experiments. Apoptosis was detected by Hoechst 33342 staining and TUNEL. The contents of Fe2+, MDA, GSH and ROS were detected by the corresponding kit. Mitochondrial membrane potential was detected by JC-1 kit. HE staining, TUNEL and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the xenografted tumors. Protein expression was detected by western blot.
Results
Bupivacaine significantly inhibited the activity of T24 cells and 5637 cells at 0.25-16 mM. Bupivacaine significantly promoted cell apoptosis with increasd concentration. bupivacaine inhibited the expression of Bcl-2 and increased the expression of Bax and cytochrome C. Moreover, bupivacaine promoted the increase of Fe2+ and ROS, and inhibited the expression of xCT and GPX4. Further results showed that bupivacaine decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, reduced GSH, and increased MDA levels. Besides, bupivacaine attenuated the phosphorylation of PI3K, Akt, and mTOR, which might be involved in the regulation of bupivacaine-induced apoptosis and ferroptosis. In addition, bupivacaine suppressed the growth of xenografted tumors, induced apoptosis and ferroptosis, and inhibited the activity of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in xenografted tumors.
Conclusion
Bupivacaine could induce apoptosis and ferroptosis by inhibiting PI3K / Akt signaling pathway in bladder cancer cells.
Alterations in Vaginal Microbiota among Pregnant Women with COVID-19
Authors: Celik Ebru , Ozcan Gulin , Vatansever Cansel , Paerhati Erxiati , Kuskucu Mert Ahmet , Dogan Ozlem , Cekic Sebile Guler , Ergonul Onder , Gursoy Atilla , Keskin Ozlem , Can Fusun
Published: November 2021

Background: The maintenance of vaginal microbiota is an important factor to achieve ideal pregnancy outcomes. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been shown to have potential adverse effects on pregnancy and neonatal outcomes. Pregnancy itself is a risk factor for the severity of COVID-19, with an increased risk of intensive care unit (ICU) admission, maternal morbidity, and mortality. the role of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in vaginal microbiome composition in pregnant women with COVID-19 has not yet been investigated. Therefore, we anticipate that COVID-19 may unfavorably affect the composition of the vaginal microbiota, resulting in adverse pregnancy outcomes. We aimed to describe the alterations of the composition of vaginal microbiota in pregnant women with COVID-19.Results: A prospective case-control study was conducted among 19 pregnant women with COVID-19 and 28 healthy controls matched according to the gestational week and age. The vaginal swabs were collected during the active phase of infection and consecutively, within a month after recovering from infection. In three patients, longitudinal samples before, in the course, and after infection were also obtained. The microbiome alterations were examined by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. We indicated that COVID-19 was associated with vaginal dysbiosis during pregnancy, which was indicated by an increased alpha diversity index. There was a significantly decrease in Firmicutes (P=0.007) and Lactobacillus (P=0.019) with an increase in Bacteroidetes (P=0.024) in the COVID-19 group. In the moderate/severe group, increased amounts of Ureaplasma and vanishing of Lactobacillus gasseri were found in women, compared to the asymptomatic or mild group (P=0.001). In longitudinal analysis, elevation of Actinobacteria with reduction of Firmicutes and Bacteroides were indicated during the active phase. Conclusions: The study revealed vaginal dysbiosis with a low abundance of Lactobacillus and an increase in Bacteroidetes in relation to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Vaginal dysbiosis in COVID-19 could be a contributing factor in pregnancy adverse outcomes. Trial registration: clinicaltrials, Registered 15 November 2019, https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04165252?cond=microbiota&cntry=TR&draw=3&rank=12
Age and Sex Effects across the Blood Proteome after Lonizing Radiation Exposure: Consequences for Biomarker Screening and Risk Assessment
Authors: Langen Britta , Vorontsov Egor , Spetz Johan , Swanpalmer John , Sihlbom Carina , Helou Khalil , Forssell-Aronsson Eva
Published: November 2021

Molecular biomarkers of ionizing radiation (IR) exposure are a promising new tool in various disciplines: they can give necessary information for adaptive treatment planning in cancer radiotherapy, enable risk projection for radiation-induced survivorship diseases, or facilitate triage and intervention in radiation hazard events. However, radiation biomarker discovery has not yet resolved the most basic features of personalized medicine: age and sex. To overcome this critical bias in biomarker identification, we quantitated age and sex effects and assessed their relevance in the radiation response across the blood proteome. We used high-throughput mass spectrometry on blood plasma collected 24 hours after 0.5 Gy total body irradiation (15 MV nominal photon energy) from male and female C57BL/6N mice at juvenile (7-weeks-old) or adult (18-weeks-old) age. We also assessed sex and strain effects using juvenile male and female BALB/c nude mice. We showed that age and sex created significant effects in the proteomic response regarding both extent and functional quality of IR-induced responses. Furthermore, we found that age and sex effects appeared non-linear and were often end-point specific. Overall, age contributed more to differences in the proteomic response than sex, most notably in immune responses, oxidative stress, and apoptotic cell death. Interestingly, sex effects were pronounced for DNA damage & repair pathways and associated cellular outcome (pro-survival vs. pro-apoptotic). Only one protein (AHSP) was identified as a potential general biomarker candidate across age and sex, while GMNN, REG3B, and SNCA indicated some response similarity across age. This low yield advocated that unisex or uniage biomarker screening approaches are not feasible. In conclusion, age- and sex-specific screening approaches should be implemented as standard protocol to ensure robustness and diagnostic power of biomarker candidates. Bias-free molecular biomarkers are a necessary progression towards personalized medicine and integral for advanced adaptive cancer radiotherapy and risk assessment.
Mettl14 Mediates the Inflammatory Response of Macrophages in Atherosclerosis Through the NF-κB/IL-6 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Zheng Yang , Li Yunqi , Ran Xianwen , Wang Di , Zheng Xianghui , Zhang Maomao , Wu Jian , Sun Yong , Yu Bo
Published: November 2021

The inflammatory response of macrophages has been reported to play a critical role in atherosclerosis. The inflammatory state of macrophages is modified by epigenetic reprogramming. m6A RNA methylation is an epigenetic modification of RNAs. However, little is known about the potential roles and underlying mechanisms of m6A modification in macrophage inflammation. Herein, we showed that the expression of the m6A modification “writer” Mettl14 was increased in coronary heart disease and LPS-stimulated THP-1 cells. Knockdown of Mettl14 promoted M2 polarization of macrophages, inhibited foam cell formation and decreased migration. Mechanistically, the expression of Myd88 and IL-6 was decreased in Mettl14 knockdown cells. Through m6A modification, Mettl14 regulated the stability of Myd88 mRNA. Furthermore, Myd88 affected the transcription of IL-6 via the distribution of p65 in nuclei rather than directly regulating the expression of IL-6 through m6A modification. In vivo, Mettl14 gene knockout significantly reduced the inflammatory response of macrophages and the development of atherosclerotic plaques. Taken together, our data demonstrate that Mettl14 plays a vital role in macrophage inflammation in atherosclerosis via the NF-κB/IL-6 signaling pathway, suggesting that Mettl14 may be a promising therapeutic target for the clinical treatment of atherosclerosis.
Distribution and Associated Factors of Gyrodactylus Malalai Infestation in North African Catfish, Clarias Gariepinus in Ilorin, Nigeria
Authors: Ibrahim Adeshina , Setufe Seyramsarah Blossom , Abdulwaheed Kaosarat Omolara , Adeniyi Olarinke Victoria
Published: November 2021

This study examined the occurrence and associated factors of Gyrodactylus malalai infestation in 30 cultured North African catfish in Ilorin, Nigeria. Four organs (gills, eyes, fin and skin) were collected from each fish (resulted into 180 organs) and observed for the existence of G. malalai. Fifty percent (50%) of the fish examined were infested with G. malalai. Males (30%) fish were more affected than the females (20%). Density, intensity and index of infestation were significantly different between males and females (p < 0.05). Fish with total length of 40.0 to 49.9 cm were significantly infested than fish with total length of 20.0 to 29.9 cm (p < 0.05) but body weight did not significantly affect the occurrence of G. malalai infestation (p > 0.05). Gills is most targeted organ of G. malalai infestation with higher percentage of infestation (8.33%), density of infestation (0.22), intensity of infestation (2.60), and index of infestation (3.25) than the eye with 2.22, 0.06, 1.57, and 0.43, respectively (p < 0.05). In conclusion, Gyrodactylus malalai infestations are high in North African catfish and could multiply rapidly and could lead to mortality if not properly managed. Furthermore, total length is identified as the predisposing factor for G. malalai infestation in fish
The Knowledge of Fermentation and Health Benefits among General Population in North-Eastern Slovenia
Authors: Pogačar Maja Šikić , Mičetić-Turk Dušanka , Fijan Sabina
Published: November 2021

Background

Fermented foods are staples of the human diet and fermentation process has been used by humans for thousands of years. The preparation of fermented foods was performed in the past without knowledge of the role of microorganisms involved. Nowadays, fermented foods, due to their proclaimed health benefits for consumers, are becoming increasingly popular. Our study was constructed to provide data on awareness and use of fermented foods among people in North-eastern Slovenia.
Methods

The cross-sectional study included 349 individuals (16-89 years of age). An online survey was designed to assess the participants' knowledge of fermentation, fermented foods, the consumption of fermented foods and awareness of the health benefits. Data were collected from March to June 2021 and analyzed using IBM SPSS 27.0.
Results

Compared with the youngest participants (<21 years) knowledge of fermentation was higher in older individuals (p<0.001). More than a half of the participants recognized the role of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts in fermentation process, however, only 18.3% of participants were aware of the role of the molds. Only 25.9% of the participants have become acquainted with fermented foods at home and 62.2% of them were aware of health benefits of fermented foods, but mostly on gastrointestinal health and the immune system.
Conclusions

As people today live predominantly in urban areas and incline towards westernized foods, they often lack the knowledge of fermentation and awareness regarding the nutritional value of fermented foods and their preparation. Steps should be taken to educate younger generations regarding the health benefits of fermented foods especially considering that most of them expressed their interest in learning more about the process.
The Role of ATP-binding Cassette Transporter Genes Expression for Treatment Failure in Cutaneous Leishmaniasis
Authors: Boozhmehrani Mohammad Javad , Eslami Gilda , Khamesipour Ali , Jafari Abbas Ali , Vakili Mahmood
Published: November 2021

Background: Leishmaniasis is one of the common diseases transmitted by sand flies in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Currently, antimonal derivatives are the first line of treatment. Some of the members of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) family of Leishmania are shown to be associated with resistance to antimonial. In this study, we evaluated ABCI4, ABCG2, ABCC7, and ABCC3 gene expression in Leishmania isolated from patients with non-healing cutaneous leishmaniasis. Results: Five cases were treatment failure that all of them were identified as L. major. All treatment failure clinical isolates were L. major. Gene expression analysis in treatment failure isolates showed that the ABC transported genes had a different pattern in each isolate. ABCC7 had overexpression in all isolates. Among the treatment failure isolates, only one sample had overexpression in all ABC transporter genes under study. Conclusions: Treatment failure has been reported for cutaneous leishmaniasis worldwide. Knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of treatment failure could solve this problem. ABC transporter genes are considered controversy over the mechanisms of treatment failure outcomes. In this study, we showed that ABC transporter genes could be considered one the important mechanisms.
Gut and Colony Microbiota of Honey Bees: Social Immunity and Opportunism Overwinter
Authors: Anderson Kirk E. , Maes Patrick
Published: November 2021

Overwintering is a major contributor to honey bee colony loss and involves factors that influence disease susceptibility. Honey bees possess a secretory head gland that interfaces with the extended social environment on many levels. With the coming of winter, colonies produce a long-lived (diutinus) worker phenotype that survives until environmental conditions improve. We used a known-age worker cohort to investigate microbiome integrity and social gene expression of diutinus workers overwinter. We provide additional context by contrasting host-microbial interactions from warm outdoor and cold indoor overwintering environments. Our results provide the first evidence that social immune gene expression is associated with diutinus bees, and highlight the midgut as a target of opportunistic disease overwinter. Host microbial interactions suggest opportunistic disease progression and resistance in diutinus workers, but susceptibility to opportunistic disease in younger workers that emerged during the winter, including increases in Enterobacteriaceae, fungal load and bacterial diversity abundance. The results are consistent with increased social immunity overwinter, including host associations with the colony microbiota, and a social immune response by long-lived diutinus workers to combat microbial opportunism. The cost/benefit ratio associated with limited expression of the diutinus phenotype may be a strong determinant of colony survival overwinter.
Multiscale Simulation of Temperature- and Pressure-dependent Nonlinear Dynamics of PMMA/CNT Composite Plates
Authors: Wang J.F. , Shi S.Q , Liu Y.Z. , Yang J.P. , Tam Lik-ho
Published: November 2021

Owing to the excellent mechanical properties, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)/carbon nanotube (CNT) composite has been increasingly adopted in the aerospace field, which is usually subjected to various temperature conditions and supersonic aerodynamic loads. Using a molecular dynamics (MD)-based multiscale simulation, the nonlinear forced vibration of PMMA/CNT composite plate is investigated under coupled temperature and aerodynamic loads conditions. The longitudinal, transverse, and shear moduli of PMMA/single-walled CNT (SWCNT) nanocomposite obtained from MD simulation at different temperature and pressure levels are substituted into the extended rule of mixtures to establish the constitutive equations of PMMA/CNT composite plate. Meanwhile, Poisson’s ratio and thermal expansion coefficient of nanocomposite are used in the constitutive equations. Based on the third-order shear deformation theory, von-Karman nonlinear strain-displacement relation, and Hamilton’s principle, the partial differential equation of composite plate is derived, which is reduced into a set of coupled ordinary differential equations by applying Galerkin method and is solved using the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method. The phase portraits and time histories of composite plate are obtained under the complex loads including transverse harmonic excitation and aerodynamic pressure, which are applied to analyze the dynamic characteristics of system. This study reveals the nonlinear dynamic characteristics of PMMA/CNT composite plate, which contributes to the prediction of long-term performance of composite materials in aerospace field.
Behavioral and Demographic Predictors of Exercise During A COVID-19 Lockdown in Three Ghanaian Cities
Authors: Asiamah Nestor , Mends-Brew Edwin , Danquah Emelia , Opuni Frank Frimpong
Published: November 2021

Background: This study assessed behavioral and demographic correlates of exercise during a COVID-19 lockdown in three cities. A cross-sectional design was employed. An online survey was used to collect data from residents of three Ghanaian cities, namely Accra, Kumasi, and Tamale.Methods: A total of 621 residents participated in the study. Most of the participants had tertiary educational qualifications and were aged 18 to 54 years. A binary logistic regression was used to present findings.Results: The results indicate that unemployed participants were about 13 times more likely to exercise than those who were employed. Individuals aged 25 to 30 years were about 0.7 times less likely to exercise compared with those aged 18 to 24 years. Participants with one or more chronic diseases were about 19 times more likely to exercise compared with those without a chronic condition. Residents who reported a reduction in moderate physical activity time of between 30 to 60 minutes were less likely to exercise compared with those who did not.Conclusion: The study concludes that the behavioral and demographic correlates of exercise during the lockdown are age, chronic disease status, employment, physical activity time lost, smoking, and domestic violence experience.
Bound States in the Continuum (BIC) Protected By Self-Sustained Potential Barriers in a Flat Band System
Authors: Zhang Yi-Cai
Published: November 2021

In this work, we investigate the bound states in the continuum (BIC) of a one-dimensional spin-1 flat band system with a potential of type III, which has a unique non-vanishing matrix element in basis |1⟩. It is found that, for such a kind of potential, there exists an effective attractive potential well surrounded by infinitely high self-sustained barriers. Some bound states in the continuum (BIC) can appear for sufficiently strong potential. These bound states (BIC) are protected by the infinitely high potential barriers, which could not decay into the continuum. Taking a long-ranged Coulomb potential and a short-ranged exponential potential as two examples, the bound state energies are obtained. For a Coulomb potential, there exists a series of critical potential strength, near which the bound state energy can goes to infinite. For a sufficiently strong exponential potential, there exists two different bound states with a same number of wave function nodes. The existences of BIC protected by the self-sustained potential barriers is quite a universal phenomenon in the flat band system under a strong potential. A necessary condition for existence of BIC is that the maximum value of potential is larger than two times band gap.
Targeting the ARNTL2 Gene as a Potential Strategy for Lung Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Zhang Huan , Li Ming , Yu Xiangyang , Shan Guangyao , Jin Xing , Feng Mingxiang , Zhan Cheng , Wang Hao , Lin Miao , Wang Qun
Published: November 2021

The relationship between biorhythm and cancer has been increasingly reported in recent years. As one of the core transcription factors of biorhythm, ARNTL2 is thought to be implicated in the occurrence and development of many malignant tumors, such as breast cancer. However, the role of ARNTL2 in lung adenocarcinoma remains elusive. In the current study, we found that expression of ARNTL2 was markedly upregulated in lung adenocarcinoma, and high ARNTL2 expression was correlated with advanced N stage and poor survival in patients. Moreover, ARNTL2 expression levels are closely associated with many important features of lung adenocarcinoma, such as tumor immune microenvironment, ferroptosis, microsatellite instability, tumor mutational load, and drug sensitivity. ARNTL2 could also promote proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma cells. In addition, we found that high ARNTL2 expression might promote epithelial-mesenchymal transition, metastasis and promotion of angiogenesis of tumor cells. In conclusion, our study reveals that ARNTL2 is a prognostic and promising therapeutic biomarker for people with lung adenocarcinoma.
Spectral features and optimal Hierarchical Attention Networks for Pulmonary abnormality detection from the Respiratory Sound signals
Authors: DAR JAWAD AHMAD , lone sajaad Ahmad , Srivast Kamal Kr
Published: November 2021

The most important concern in the medical field is to consider the analysis of data and perform accurate diagnosis. However, the analysis of pulmonary abnormalities may depend on the diagnostic experience and the medical skills of the physicians, and is a time-consuming practice. In order to solve such issues, an efficient Water Cycle Swarm Optimizer-based Hierarchical Attention Network (WCSO-based HAN) is developed for detecting the pulmonary abnormalities from the respiratory sounds signals. However, the developed optimization technique named WCSO is devised by incorporating the Water Cycle Algorithm (WCA) with Competitive Swarm Optimizer (CSO). Here, the pre-processing is performed using the Hanning window and Spectral gating-based noise reduction method in order to remove the falsifications or noises from the signal. Thereafter, the process of feature extraction is carried out to extract the significant features, such as Bark frequency Cepstral coefficient (BFCC) and the short term features, such asspectral flux and spectral centroid. Once the significant features are extracted, classification is performed using HAN where the training procedure of HAN is carried out using WCSO. Furthermore, the developed WCSO-based HAN obtained efficient performance using True Positive Rate (TPR), True Negative Rate (TNR) and accuracy with the values of 0.943, 0.913, and 0.923 using dataset 1, respectively.