bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Increased expression of pro‐inflammatory cytokines at the fetal–maternal interface in bovine pregnancies produced by cloning
Authors: Rutigliano Heloisa M. , Thomas Aaron J. , Umbaugh Janae J. , Wilhelm Amanda , Sessions Benjamin R. , Kaundal Rakesh , Duhan Naveen , Hicks Brady A. , Schlafer Donald H. , White Kenneth L. , Davies Christopher J.
Published: January 2022

Problem

A significant rate of spontaneous abortion is observed in cattle pregnancies produced by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). Major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC‐I) proteins are abnormally expressed on the surface of trophoblast cells from SCNT conceptuses.

Method of study

MHC‐I homozygous compatible (n = 9), homozygous incompatible (n = 8), and heterozygous incompatible (n = 5) pregnancies were established by SCNT. Eight control pregnancies were established by artificial insemination. Uterine and trophoblast samples were collected on day 35 ±1 of pregnancy, the expression of immune‐related genes was examined by qPCR, and the expression of trophoblast microRNAs was assessed by sequencing.

Results

Compared to the control group, trophoblast from MHC‐I heterozygous incompatible pregnancies expressed increased levels of CD28, CTLA4, CXCL8, IFNG, IL1A, IL2, IL10, IL12B, TBX21, and TNF, while GNLY expression was downregulated. The MHC‐I homozygous incompatible treatment group expressed increased levels of IFNG, IL1A, and IL2 while the MHC‐I homozygous compatible group did not differentially express any genes compared to the control group. In the endometrium, relative to the control group, MHC‐I heterozygous incompatible pregnancies expressed increased levels of CD28, CTLA4, CXCL8, IFNG, IL10, IL12B, and TNF, while GATA3 expression was downregulated. The MHC‐I homozygous incompatible group expressed decreased amounts of CSF2 transcripts compared with the control group but did not have abnormal expression of any other immune‐related genes. MHC‐I incompatible pregnancies had 40 deregulated miRNAs compared to control pregnancies and 62 deregulated microRNAs compared to MHC‐I compatible pregnancies.

Conclusions

MHC‐I compatibility between the dam and fetus prevented an exacerbated maternal immune response from being mounted against fetal antigens.
Fasciculoventricular pathways—A rare and innocent variant: A Retrospective study focusing on clinical and electrophysiologic characteristics
Authors: Gormel Suat , Yasar Salim
Published: January 2022

Background

Fasciculoventricular pathways (FVPs) are variants of pre‐excitation syndrome which were investigated insufficiently because of its rarity.

Objective

This report aimed to represent one of the largest series of FVP, focusing on its clinical and electrophysiological properties.

Methods

We analyzed retrospectively 26 consecutive patients who underwent electrophysiological study (EPS) for FVP between January 1998 and June 2020.

Results

Among 1437 patients with accessory pathways, 26 had FVP (1.80%). All the 26 patients (100%) were males, with a mean age of 22.15 ± 3.50 years (range, 20–34 years). In the baseline electrocardiograms of the patients with FVP, pre‐excitation and transitional zone were seen in leads V2–V4. During EPS procedures, normal AH interval and shortened HV interval were detected. All the patients had AH prolongation after atrial pacing due to atrioventricular (AV) nodal delay without change in pre‐excitation degree. Five of the FVP patients (19.2%) had extra accessory pathways, all of which were ablated successfully while the FVPs were followed clinically.

Conclusion

Fasciculoventricular pathways are uncommon variants of pre‐excitation syndrome; therefore, they should be diagnosed correctly and followed up noninvasively to avoid damages.
National trends and outcomes of heart‐kidney transplantation using hepatitis C positive donors
Authors: Diaz‐Castrillon Carlos E. , Huckaby Lauren V. , Witer Lucas , Pope Nicolas H. , Katz Marc R. , Baliga Prabhakar K. , Kilic Arman
Published: January 2022

Background

This study evaluated the outcomes of combined heart‐kidney transplantation in the United States using hepatitis C positive (HCV+) donors.

Methods

Adults undergoing combined heart‐kidney transplantation from 2015 to 2020 were identified in the United Network for Organ Sharing registry. Patients were stratified by donor HCV status. Kaplan‐Meier curves with multivariable Cox regression models were used for risk‐adjustment in a propensity‐matched cohort.

Results

A total of 950 patients underwent heart‐kidney transplantation of which 7.8% (n = 75) used HCV+ donors; 68% (n = 51) were viremic and 32% (n = 24) were non‐viremic donors. Unadjusted 1‐year recipient survival was similar between HCV+ versus HCV‐ donors (84% vs 88%, respectively; P = .33). Risk‐adjusted analysis in the propensity‐matched cohort showed HCV+ donor use did not confer increased risk of 1‐year mortality (hazard ratio .63, 95% CI .17‐2.32; P = .49). Sub‐group analysis showed viremic and non‐viremic HCV+ donors had similar 1‐year survival as well (84% vs 84%; P = .95).

Conclusions

Compared with recipients of HCV‐ donor dual heart‐kidney transplants, recipients of HCV+ organs had comparable 1‐year survival and clinical outcomes after combined transplantation. Although future studies should evaluate other outcomes related to HCV+ donor use, this practice appears safe and should be expanded further in the heart‐kidney transplant population.
Comparison of Resting-State Brain Activation between Healthy Normal and Low Auditory-Verbal Working Memory Capacity Participants
Authors: Gafoor Nur Ruzainah , Yusoff Ahmad Nazlim , Othman Elza Azri , Nasaruddin Nurul Hanim
Published: January 2022

Working memory (WM) capacity is the ability to maintain attention and store information briefly in the mind. However, each individual has a limited WM capacity that varies from one person to another. An individual can be categorized as having either normal or low WM capacity. This study aimed to evaluate and compare brain activations of healthy individuals with low and normal auditory-verbal WM capacity. A total of 39 healthy male young adults were recruited from local universities for this study. They were categorized into the normal and low auditory-verbal WM capacity group based on their score in the Malay Version of Auditory Verbal Learning Test (MVAVLT). All participants underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scans. The functional data were analyzed using Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) and Wake Forest University (WFU) Pickatlas softwares. Brain activations and resting-state amplitude fluctuation (rsAF) were contrasted between groups to determine whether there were any significant differences caused by the different auditory-verbal WM capacity. The findings indicated that the low auditory-verbal WM capacity group showed significantly higher cortical activations in the left lingual gyrus, bilateral middle temporal gyrus, left calcarine, left superior frontal gyrus, and left precuneus as compared to normal auditory-verbal WM capacity group. It is suggested that the higher activation of these brain areas in low verbal-auditory WM capacity participants was attributed to the lower neural adaptability of the brain at rest.
Extraction and Solubility Modeling of Anthocyanins Rich Extract from Hibiscus sabdariffa L. using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide
Authors: Idham Zuhaili , Putra Nicky Rahmana , Nasir Hasmida , Yian Lee Nian , Mohd Idrus Nor Faadila , Che Yunus Mohd Azizi
Published: January 2022

This study aimed to evaluate the extraction yield, and anthocyanins content of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. calyces extract using different temperatures (T) at 50 - 70°C, pressure (P) at 8 - 12 MPa, and modifier ratio at 5 - 10%.
Eye Blink Artefact Removal of Single Frontal EEG Channel Algorithm using Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition and Outlier Detection
Authors: Sha'abani Mohd Nurul Al Hafiz , Fuad Norfaiza , Jamal Norezmi
Published: January 2022

Recently, the emergence of various applications to use EEG has evolved the EEG device to become wearable with fewer electrodes. Unfortunately, the process of removing artefact becomes challenging since the conventional method requires an additional artefact reference channel or multichannel recording to be working. By focusing on frontal EEG channel recording, this paper proposed an alternative single-channel eye blink artefact removal method based on the ensemble empirical mode decomposition and outlier detection technique. The method removes the segment of the potential eyeblinks artefact on the residual of a pre-determined level of decomposition. An outlier detection technique is introduced to identify the peak of the eyeblink based on the extreme value of the residual signal. The results showed that the corrected EEG signal achieved high correlation, low RMSE and have small differences in PSD when compared to the reference clean EEG. Comparing with an adaptive Wiener filter technique, the corrected EEG signal by the proposed method had better signal-to-artefact ratio.
Empirical Correlation of Emulsion Size Prediction for Zinc Extraction Using Flat Blade Impeller System in Emulsion Liquid Membrane Process
Authors: Suliman Sazmin Sufi , Othman Norasikin , Mohamed Noah Norul Fatiha , Jusoh Norela , Raja Sulaiman Raja Norimie
Published: January 2022

In this study, determination of droplets in the presence of blended mixture of surfactants (Span 80 and Tween 80) and nanoparticles, iron (III) oxide (Fe2O3) were investigated using a single stage mixer-settler extractor with 4-pitched flat blade impeller on one shaft employment. Additionally, the influence of Fe2O3 and blended surfactant mixture of Span 80 and Tween 80 on the dispersion of emulsion in terms of Sauter diameter (D32) measurement was compared with new correlations. Results indicate that the presence of Fe2O3 in the blended mixture of surfactant simultaneously decreased in D32 by 79 % and the stability of the emulsion system was enhanced. Overall, empirical correlation for droplet size at different conditions are obtained, and the modified correlation for D32 is presented. The correlation found is D32/DI =0.02265(3.419Φi−1)We-0.6. The calculated average absolute relative deviation (%AARD) is 2.69 %, thus indicating a good accuracy and acceptability between the presented correlation and experimental data.
Two-Stage Adsorber Design for Methylene Blue Removal by Coconut Shell Activated Carbon
Authors: Amran Fadina , Zainuddin Nur Fatiah , Ahmad Zaini Muhammad Abbas
Published: January 2022

The present work was aimed at evaluating the performance of two-stage adsorber for methylene blue removal by coconut shell activated carbon in minimizing the adsorbent mass and contact time. The Langmuir constants were used to evaluate the optimum mass, while the pseudo-second-order constants for contact time. Results show that the adsorbent mass can only be minimized by 0.01 % due to the high adsorbent affinity towards methylene blue, while the contact time has been optimized to 12.2 min at the studied conditions. The effect of adsorbent affinity in two-stage adsorber was analyzed to shed some light about its importance in the design of two-stage adsorber. The performance evaluation was also discussed to bring insight into wastewater treatment applications.
Bioactivity Evaluation of Leucas zeylanica and its Phytochemicals
Authors: Fui Lin Lee , Mohd Salleh Noor Aida Fazira , Abdullah Faizuan , Hashim Siti Ernieyanti
Published: January 2022

Leucas zeylanica belongs to the Lamiaceae family has high medicinal value. The phytochemicals screening results showed that terpenoids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, phenols and alkaloids are present in aerial part of L. zeylanica.Vacuum liquid chromatography (VLC) and column chromatography (CC) techniques were used in fractionation and purification of the crude extracts.
Physio-biochemical Responses of In Vitro Cooking Banana Musa paradisiaca cv Lang towards Pseudo Induced Drought Stress by Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)
Authors: Syed Badrulzaman Sharifah Zafierah , Ramlan Nurhana Nadia , Kamarul Zaman Munirah Adibah , Azzeme Azzreena Mohamad
Published: January 2022

Musa paradisiaca cv Lang belongs to cooking banana group, and it has high potential to be used in banana chips production. Like other cultivars, M. paradisiaca cv Lang is susceptible towards water shortage, therefore affecting banana growth and productivity. In this study, to mimic the drought condition, pseudo-drought stress was given to in vitro Lang banana seedlings by adding polyethylene glycol (PEG). Overall, decrement of roots length and chlorophyll (Chl) content was displayed by the seedlings exposed to 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, and 5% (w/v) of PEG after three weeks of exposure. The proline content, total soluble protein content, and antioxidant capacity in leaf and roots, however, countered differently towards different levels of drought. Proline content showed the highest in leaf of 2% (w/v) PEG-treated seedling (12.66±0.38 µmoles/g) while the total soluble protein content showed the highest in roots of 5% (w/v) of PEG-treated seedling (30.65±1.07 mg/g FW). Antioxidant capacity of stressed seedlings revealed the catalase (CAT), guaiacol peroxidase (POD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities were the highest in the leaf of 1% (w/v) (10.69±5.06 µmol/min/mg), 4% (w/v), (0.079±0.03 µmol/min/mg), and 5% (w/v) (9.11±8.47 µmol/min/mg) of PEG- treated seedlings, respectively. Meanwhile, the highest CAT, POD, and APX activities in the roots were determined in 3% (w/v) (0.49±0.04 µmol/min/mg), 2% (w/v) (0.03±0.02 µmol/min/mg), and 3% (w/v) (16.69±0.5 µmol/min/mg) of PEG-treated seedlings, respectively. These data show that PEG can be a priming agent to induce defense system at seedling stage of banana, which could enhance their survivability during ex vitro acclimatization.
A Rudimentary X band CW-EPR Spectrometer Based on FPGA
Authors: Eow Wei Siang , Yap Yung Szen
Published: January 2022

A rudimentary Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectrometer is design using a field programmable gate array (FPGA) equipped with two digital-to-analog (DAC) and two analog-to-digital (ADC) channels.  The single stage heterodyne setup operates at X band frequencies and is used to detect EPR signals from 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) in a loop-gap resonator.  We design the loop gap resonator with 3 loops 2 gaps for high field homogeneity and moderate Q-factor. The resonator is coupled capacitively to the coaxial cable and is designed to have an unloaded resonant frequency of 8.856 GHz with a Q-factor of 646.0 when critically coupled. The loaded resonant frequency is reported to be 8.668 GHz with a Q-factor of 615.8. Using this setup, EPR signal is successfully detected at 311.4 mT and 8.688 GHz with an experimental g-factor of 1.99450.0012, which is very near to the standard value for DPPH.
An EOQ model for deteriorating items analyzing retailer’s optimal strategy under trade credit and return policy with nonlinear demand and resalable returns
Authors: Kumari Mamta , De Pijus Kanti
Published: January 2022

This paper presents an EOQ model where demand is dependent upon time and selling price. In the proposed model of inventory, the retailer allows its unsatisfied customers to return their product whereas the manufacturer offers a full trade credit policy to the retailer. To make our model realistic, we have assumed that the product returned can be resold with the same selling price. Number of returns is a function of demand. In this proposed inventory model considering deterioration, the retailer does not fully reimburse its customers for the returned product. The primary purpose of this inventory model is to determine the optimal selling price, optimal order quantity, and optimal replenishment cycle length in order to maximize the retailer’s total profit earned per unit time. A numerical example is also presented and a sensitivity analysis is carried to highlight the findings of the suggested inventory model.
Multi-objective regression modeling for natural gas prediction with ridge regression and CMARS
Authors: Ozmen Ayse
Published: January 2022

Residential customers are the main users generally need a great quantity of natural gas in distribution systems, especially, in the wintry weather season since it is particularly consumed for cooking and space heating. Hence, it ought to be non-interruptible. Since distribution systems have a restricted ability for supply, reasonable planning and prediction through the whole year, especially in winter seasons, have emerged as vital. The Ridge Regression (RR) is formulated mainly to decrease collinearity results through shrinking the regression coefficients and reducing the impact in the model of variables. Conic multivariate adaptive regression splines ((C)MARS) model is constructed as an effective choice for MARS by using inverse problems, statistical learning, and multi-objective optimization theories. In this approach, the model complexity is penalized in the structure of RR and it is constructed a relaxation by utilizing continuous optimization, called Conic Quadratic Programming (CQP). In this study, CMARS and RR are applied to obtain forecasts of residential natural gas demand for local distribution companies (LDCs) that require short-term forecasts, and the model performances are compared by using some criteria. Here, our analysis shows that CMARS models outperform RR models. For one-day-ahead forecasts, CMARS yields a MAPE of about 4.8%, while the same value under RR reaches 8.5%. As the forecast horizon increases, it can be seen that the performance of the methods becomes worse, and for a forecast one week ahead, the MAPE values for CMARS and RR are 9.9% and 18.3%, respectively.
Study and analysis of motion artifacts for ambulatory electroencephalography
Authors: Islam Asma , Esha Eshrat Jahan , Binte Ahmed Sheikh Farhana , Kafiul Islam Md.
Published: January 2022

Motion artifacts contribute complexity in acquiring clean electroencephalography (EEG) data. It is one of the major challenges for ambulatory EEG. The performance of mobile health monitoring, neurological disorders diagnosis and surgeries can be significantly improved by reducing the motion artifacts. Although different papers have proposed various novel approaches for removing motion artifacts, the datasets used to validate those algorithms are questionable. In this paper, a unique EEG dataset was presented where ten different activities were performed. No such previous EEG recordings using EMOTIV EEG headset are available in research history that explicitly mentioned and considered a number of daily activities that induced motion artifacts in EEG recordings. Quantitative study shows that in comparison to correlation coefficient, the coherence analysis depicted a better similarity measure between motion artifacts and motion sensor data. Motion artifacts were characterized with very low frequency which overlapped with the Delta rhythm of the EEG. Also, a general wavelet transform based approach was presented to remove motion artifacts. Further experiment and analysis with more similarity metrics and longer recording duration for each activity is required to finalize the characteristics of motion artifacts and henceforth reliably identify and subsequently remove the motion artifacts in the contaminated EEG recordings.
Phylogenetic Study of Bufonidae (Amphibia: Anura) from Sumatera and Asia Based on Cytochrome B Gene
Authors:   Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Andalas University, Padang 25163, Indonesia, Tjong Djong , Roesma Dewi ,   Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Andalas University, Padang 25163, Indonesia, Indra Silvia ,   Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Andalas University, Padang 25163, Indonesia
Published: January 2022

Bufonidae is widely distributed amphibian family around the world, including Indonesia (Sumatra) and Asia. Sumatra is an island which has separated because of sea level increase and create gene flows barrier for amphibian in Sumatra and Asia. The purpose of this research is to analyse Bufonidae phylogenetic which exist in several locations in Sumatra and Asia based on gene cytochrome b analysis. Samples were collected from six localities in West Sumatra. DNA extraction and amplification has been done in Genetics and Cell Biology Laboratory, Andalas University, whereas DNA sequencing were analyzed at MacroGen USA DNA Sequencing Laboratory, South Korea. About 14 tissue samples of Bufonidae from West Sumatra has been analyzed. The relationship of Bufonidae phylogenetics in Sumatra and Asia were divided into three main clusters. Duttaphrynus melanostictus in Sumatra is closer to Duttaphrynus melanostictus from India with 0,3-0,5% sequence divergence and it is a group of paraphyletic with Duttaphrynus melanostictus from Vietnam, Taiwan, and China.
Approaching Things that Trigger Things: A Review of Three Shifts in the Character of Things and Their Implications for Design
Authors: Wiberg Mikael
Published: January 2022

In this article I focus on the changing character of things. In doing so, I review and draw together a set of existing sources, and emerging strands and conceptions of design, to discuss three fundamental shifts that have profoundly changed the character of the things we surround ourselves with, and I discuss their implications for design. I contribute to existing design research by bringing these strands together, and by making this accessible in the form of the three shifts.
Materializing the Agency of Design in Innovation
Practices
Authors: Neubauer Ruth M.
Published: January 2022

This article critically reviews how we think about design in technology and service innovation. Human-centered design has emerged in this science-driven field as a way to include the interests of humans and their needs in production processes. As such, design has a considerable effect on the development of new technologies and services. Making visible the agency of design in these practices thus is of immense importance. A gap remains in the ability of current concepts of design to visualize and conceptualize design agency. Therefore, drawing on concepts of materiality in design and practice, this article proposes a framework that makes design agency visible.
A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study on Activation of Anterior Cingulate Cortex at Episode and Interictal Phases in Migraine
Authors: Lei Ming , Zhang Junjian , Wu Dongmei
Published: January 2022

Objective:
 By using amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) we have analyzed activationsin brain regions at different phases in migraineurs.

Methods:
 Participants included 41 patients with migraine, 19 in episode and 22 in interictal phase, and 22 controls in the healthy condition. To analyze the brain function of patients and controls, ALFF was used for performing the post-processing in the resting state by scores of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scale, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D).

Results:
 The comparison between groups of patients with migraine in the episode or interictal phases, and healthy controls showed that both episode and interictal migraine groups had the similar HAM-A and HAM-D scores (P> 0.05), but higher than that in controls (P< 0.01). For ALFF values of Episode and Interictal groups, the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) coordinates of the decreased ALFF were (−9, 42, 9), the voxel size = 215, including the bilateral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC),T=−4.15, without significant differences. Patients in Interictal group were with a stronger activation at MNI coordinates (12, 51, 12), in the bilateral ACC, voxel size = 90,T=3.87.

Conclusion:
 ACC plays an adaptive, regulatory role in migraine and is related to multiple brain regions, which may mediate activation through descending anti-nociceptive pathways. ACC is related to opioid receptor and glutamate excitatory regulation.
Bonding Strength of Lithium Disilicate Adhesive Crowns with Different Occluso-Cervical Preparation Heights and Cement Types
Authors: Alahmari Nasser M. , Adawi Hafiz A. , Al, Moaleem Mohammed M. , Alqahtani Mashael M. A. , Alkahtani Lama A. A. , Alqahtani Ghadah A. S. , Aldhelai Thiyezen A.
Published: January 2022

The aim of this study was to evaluate if adhesion technology with CAD/CAM can compensate for the reduction of occluso cervical preparation heights using different types of dental cement. The de-bonding failure types were then assessed. Here, 72 caries-free extracted human premolar teeth
were prepared to have a remaining occlusal height of two, three, and four mm. IPS e.max lithium disilicate CAD/CAM crowns were cemented with adhesive resin cement Panavia SA, self-adhesive resin cement, RelyX Unicem Aplicap, and zinc phosphate cement. The cementation techniques were based
on the manufacturer’s instructions. After thermocycling, all samples were tested for tensile bond strength via an Instron machine. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with post hoc testing (P < 0.05) was performed. The means TBS for the two, three, and four-mm OCHP groups
were 2.72±0.69, 3.06±0.82, and 3.25±0.79.0 MPa; ARC, SARC, and ZPC were 3.41±0.51, 3.45±0.41, 2.08±0.35 MPa, respectively with significant differences in both. The mixed cement had failures in the resin cement groups. Failure was predominantly cohesive
in the zinc phosphate group. Resin cement had the highest SBS values versus ZPC values when both bonded to lithium disilicate crowns with different occlusal heights. The failure of the adhesive to the crown and/or to the tooth were the highest for the four types of resin cement. Around 25%
were cohesive failures with resin cement, but this was predominately adhesive in crowns in zinc phosphate regardless of the preparation heights.
Fracture Resistance of Roots Obturated with Resilon and EndoREZ with Self-Adhesive Root Canal Sealers
Authors: Samran Ahlam , Habib Adnan , Doumani Mazen , Samran Abdulaziz
Published: January 2022

Objective:
 This laboratory study aimed to evaluate the effect of self-adhesive root canal sealers on the fracture strength of root canals filled with Resilon or EndoREZ.

Materials and Methods:

A total of eighty extracted mandibular premolar teeth were selected in this in-vitro study. All teeth were instrumented using a crown-down technique by FlexMaster rotary NiTi files. Specimens were divided into 4 test groups (n = 20) according to the sealer material: RS; RealSeal,
RSS; RealSeal SE, MS; MetaSeal, and CG; (control group) zinc oxide eugenol-based sealer. Each main group was distributed into two subgroups (n = 10) according to the filling material either Resilon or EndoREZ and gutta-percha (n = 20) in the control group. Each root was mounted
in acrylic resin blocks and subjected to fracture in a universal testing machine. The load values at root specimens fractured were registered in Newton’s and the data were analyzed using two-way analysis of variance and the Tukey HSD test (α = 0.05).

Results:
 The two-way analysis of variance analysis indicated that the filling material had a significant effect on the fracture strength of endodontically treated teeth (p < 0.05) but not the sealer materials (p≥.05). Higher mean fracture
strength was recorded in MetaSeal and Resilon group (1281.90±200.34 N) and lower mean fracture strength was shown in RealSeal and EndoREZ group (847.55±191.04 N).

Conclusion:
 Self-adhesive (fourth-generation) resin
sealers increased the fracture strength of root teeth more than self-etching (third-generation) root canal sealers when used with EndoREZ points.
Research on Differentiation of Bone Marrow Stromal Cells (BMSCs) Prompted by MicroRNA-124 and Effect on Inflammatory Reaction of Spinal Cord Injury Nerve Cells
Authors: Xu Ming , Tan Guo Yong , Tao Xian Ming
Published: January 2022

The major feature of spinal cord injury (SCI) was the damage of nervous tissue in spinal cord. The damaged spinal cord was difficult to be repaired and regenerated. MicroRNA-124 could play a role in the repairing and recovering the injured tissue. The BMSCs could participate in repairing the damage. However, the regulatory effect of MicroRNA-124 on BMSCs and the inflammatory response of SCI was still not illustrated. These spinal cord nerve cells were assigned into group of mechanical damage, BMSCs and BMSCs with miR-124 overexpression followed by analysis of proliferation of nerve cells by MTT assay, apoptotic activity, expression of miR-124, GFAP and BDNF by Real time PCR, levels of TNF-αand IL-6 by ELISA as well as MDH and SOD activity. miR-124 mimics transfection significantly promoted BMSCs proliferation and increased ALK activity and the expression of GFAP and BDNF. In conclusion, the proliferation and differentiation of BMSCs could be regulated by miR-124. The inflammation and oxidative stress could be restrained so as to prompt the proliferation and repair of SCI cells and restrain apoptosis, indicating that it might be beneficial to recover the SCI.
miR-129 Promotes the Proliferation of Alzheimer’s Neuronal Cells by Binding the 3′ Untranslated Regions (3′ UTR) of Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP)
Authors: Liu Zhen , Hu Canfang , Tang Dingzhong , Luo Guojun
Published: January 2022

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease with memory loss and cognitive impairment. Short non-coding RNAs (miRNAs) are potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for AD. This study aims to investigate miR-129’s role in AD. miR-129 and amyloid precursor protein
(APP) expression was measured by Q-PCR, and LC3, p62, ATG5, Bcl-2, p-Tau and Caspase3 protein was detected by Western blot. Hydrogenase kits and DCFH-DA detected cell apoptosis, cytotoxicity and ROS generation. The interaction between APP and miR-129 was assessed by luciferase report experiment.
HE staining and TUNEL assay evaluated hippocampal neuron damage. In AD patient serum, AD transgenic (TG) mouse brain tissue, and AB1-42-treated SH-SY5Y cells, miR-129 was downregulated but autophagy was increased. Overexpression of miR-129 reduced cell damage induced by AB1-42, and miR-129
can directly regulate APP expression by binding APP 3′-UTR. miR-129 inhibitors reversed the protective effect of shAPP on AB1-42-induced cell damage. In addition, miR-129 overexpression reduced neuronal damage through inhibiting autophagy in vivo. APP expression in AD patient
and AD cell model was significantly increased compared to controls. Aβ-42 treatment caused up-regulation of APP expression, while APP knockdown inhibited neurons through autophagy. In conclusion, miR-129 overexpression can regulate autophagy by targeting APP5, thereby reducing
neuronal damage in AD. These findings provide a new perspective for treating AD.
Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation in Combination with Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Improves Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (AECOPD)
Authors: Wu Minna , Xu Bo
Published: January 2022

We aimed to explore the efficacy of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) transplantation combined with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) for treating severe acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). SD rat AECOPD model was established
by injecting endotoxin and Staphylococcus aureus and then treated with nCPAP, BMSCs, or nCPAP combined with BMSCs (n = 20) and their conditions were evaluated with BBB score at 1 d, 3 d, 7 d, 14 d, 28 d after treatment along with analysis of apoptosis and BrdU-positive cells
as well as NF200 expression by TUNEL kit staining and levels of Th1, Th7 and Th12 before and after treatment. As revealed by BBB score and HE staining, all treatments significantly alleviated the symptom of severe APEOPD (p < 0.05), while compared with nCPAP, the combined treatment
exhibited higher efficacy. Besides, upon treatment, apoptosis and level of Th1, Th7 and Th12 was reduced but N200 absorbance value was elevated, with significant difference in combination group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, BMSC transplantation in combination with nCPAP alleviates severe
AECOPD by reducing cell apoptosis, repairing cell damage, and regulating T-cell subsets.
Autologous Oxygen-Releasing Nano-Biomimetic Scaffold with Chondrocytes Promotes Joint Repair After Trauma
Authors: Yao Wuping , Li Yuji , Liu Zhi , Yao Liuyi , Liang Rui , Wu Jinqiu , Yuan Lingwei
Published: January 2022

Our study assesses the role of a scaffold constructed by co-culture of autologous oxygen-releasing biomimetic scaffold (AONS) and chondrocytes in joint repair after trauma. A composite scaffold structure was used and a scaffold constructed of AONS and chondrocytes was transplanted into
SD rats to create models of patellar cartilage fracture and hip osteochondral fracture, respectively followed by analysis of cell proliferation by immunofluorescence method, osteogenesis-related gene expression by RT-PCR, chondrocytes apoptosis by TUNEL staining. The blank control group and
AONS composite chondrocytes have significant differences in apoptosis and cell proliferation of two fracture types (P <0.05). The autologous oxygen-releasing nanometers at 4 and 8 weeks showed a significant difference in the number of PCNA and TUNEL cells between biomimetic scaffold
and chondrocytes in two groups (P < 0.05). The AONS and chondrocytes were effective for two types of fractures at 1, 4 and 8 weeks. The expression of various markers of intrachondral osteogenesis was decreased and the markers of hip osteochondral fracture were increased significantly
(P < 0.05). Joint recovery was better than patellar cartilage fractures. The AONS composite chondrocyte scaffold promotes repair of patellar cartilage fractures and hip osteochondral fractures with a better effect on hip osteochondral fractures.
Experimental Study of Hepatic Artery Infusion of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor (VEGFR)-2As2O3 Nanospheres for Targeted Therapy of Implanted Hep G2 Liver Cancer in Rats
Authors: Liao Yunzhong , Peng Xiaoping , Jiang Guangbin
Published: January 2022

This study assesses the effect of VEGFR-2/As2O3 invisible nanospheres on treating liver cancer. The following groups were set: Group I: blank control group (hepatic artery perfusion 0.9% saline 0.5 ml), group II: VEGFR-2/As2O3 nanospheres injection via tail vein, group III: hepatic
artery perfusion of VEGFR-2/As2O3 nanospheres. The effect of hepatic artery infusion of VEGFR-2/As2O3 nanospheres on cell proliferation, apoptosis and colony forming ability was evaluated by MTT method, flow cytometry and colony formation experiment. Tumor xenotransplantation was established
to observe the effect of hepatic artery infusion of VEGFR-2/As2O3 nanospheres on liver cancer. The in vivo and in vitro experiments both confirmed that hepatic artery perfusion of VEGFR-2/As2O3 nanospheres can inhibit the proliferation of liver cancer cells, promote cell apoptosis
and inhibit cell migration, thereby enhancing the therapeutic effect. The hepatic artery perfusion of VEGFR-2As2O3 nanospheres may be used as a targeted research and development direction for the treatment of liver cancer, providing a new and efficient targeted drug for the interventionaltreatment
of liver cancer.
Down-Regulation of Long Non-Coding RNA AK139328 Reduces Cell Inflammation and Apoptosis in Cerebral Ischemia Reperfusion Injury
Authors: Zhu Xuanxuan , Wu Changzheng
Published: January 2022

Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI) refers to the phenomenon that the ischemic injury of brain leads to the injury of brain cells, and ischemic injury is further aggravated after the recovery of blood reperfusion. In this study, we first constructed Oxygen and glucose deprivation/reoxygenation
(OGD/R) injury model of PC12 cells, we found that the expression of LncRNA AK139328 in model cells was significantly increased through RT-qPCR. Subsequently, we interfered LncRNA AK139328 in model cells by plasmid transfection and found that interfering LncRNA AK139328 could significantly
reduce the expression of inflammatory factors, including TNF a, IL-1β, IL-6, McP-1, and oxidative stress-related factors, including ROS, MDA, LDH, while the expressions of SOD and GSHPx were significantly increased. Flow cytometry was used to detect cell apoptosis, and apoptosisrelated
proteins bcl-2, Bax, cleaved-caspase3 and cleaved PARP-1 were detected by western blot. Results show that interfering LncRNA AK139328 could reduce the apoptosis rate of OGD/R cells and the expression of Bax, cleaved caspase3 and cleaved PARP-1, while increasing the expression of bcl-2. Meanwhile,
we found that after interfering LncRNA AK139328, the expressions of Nrf2, HO-1, NQO-1 and phosphorylated-P65 increased, while P65 showed no significant changes. This may be related to Nrf2/HO-1 and NF-κB signaling pathways. In a word, our study showed that interfering with LncRNA
AK139328 can reduce cell inflammation and apoptosis in CIRI.
Hyaluronic Acid Stabilized Doxorubicin Nano-Precipitations for Osteosarcoma Treatment
Authors: Huang Mouzhang , Zeng Limei , Zhu Rongping , Chen Gongqun , Wu Haijian , Fan Bin , Liu Changtie , Guo Bowen , Zhong Hongfa
Published: January 2022

Doxorubicin (Dox) is a wide-spectrum drug to treat different kinds of cancers. However, in clinical practice, Dox usually showed untargeted distributions to the other organs, which can cause serious side effects, such as cardiotoxity. Herein, the formulation of Dox into nanoparticles
is critical to enhance its distribution to tumors. Herein, we used polysaccharide, hyaluronic acid, to stabilize the Dox to form nano-precipitations (PD NPs) for the therapy of osteosarcoma. The PD NPs showed enhanced drug accumulation to tumor cells and realized better anticancer effects
than free drugs.
miR-29b Derived from Bone Marrow Stromal Cell (BMSC) Exosomes Improves Laryngeal Carcinoma by Inhibiting Forkhead Box Protein P1 (FOXP1) to Decrease Cyclin E2 Transcription
Authors: Zheng Juan , Zhou Liang
Published: January 2022

This study intends to investigate whether miR-29b derived from BMSC exosomes (BMSC-exos) affects laryngeal cancer progression. RT-qPCR detected miR-29b level in BMSCs and BMSC-exos. After miR-29b was overexpressed in BMSCs, exos were extracted from BMSCs and used to treat laryngeal
cancer cells, followed by CCK-8 assay and soft agar assay. When cells were treated with FOXP1 inhibitor or cyclin E2 vector, Western blot analyzed the expression of related proteins and flow cytometry assessed cell cycle distribution. In vivo experiment was conducted to assess miR-29b’s
effect on tumor growth. miR-29b was upregulated in BMSC-exos, but lowly expressed in cancer cells. miR-29b upregulation inhibited the proliferation of laryngeal cancer cells and delayed tumor progression In vivo by inducing cell cycle arrest. Importantly, miR-29b bound 3′UTR of
FXOP1 to inhibit its expression, and further reduced cyclin E2 level. sh-FXOP1 or cyclin E2 vector can restore the cell cycle and proliferation caused by miR-29b. In conclusion, miR-29b enriched in BMSC-exo can down-regulate cyclin E2 expression through targeted inhibition of FXOP1, thereby
inhibiting the progression of laryngeal cancer.
Detectives’ Descriptions of Their Responses to Sexual Assault Cases and Victims: Assessing the Overlap Between Rape Myths and Focal Concerns
Authors: George Suzanne St. , Verhagan Megan , Spohn Cassia
Published: January 2022

Increasing just responses to sexual assault requires understanding how police perceive sexual assault cases and victims, and which legal (e.g., evidence), extralegal (e.g., suspect characteristics), and practical (e.g., convictability) concerns influence their responses in these cases. Using interview data collected in the Los Angeles Sexual Assault Study, we qualitatively analyzed 611 comments made by 52 detectives in response to questions about case processing decisions (e.g., what it takes to arrest) to examine the factors detectives described as relevant to their assessments of allegations as legitimate, victims as credible, and cases as chargeable. Results revealed overlap between rape myths and legal, extralegal, and practical concerns. Specifically, comments referenced rape myths in relation to suspect blameworthiness and dangerousness, evidence, victim cooperation, and prosecutors’ decisions. Comments also revealed some detectives lacked knowledge of relevant legal statutes and case processing guidelines (e.g., unfound criteria). These results suggest that sexual assault case attrition stems from an orientation to prosecutors’ charging criteria rather than probable cause, and organizational factors, such as deprioritization of sex crimes investigations. We recommend that departments adequately staff and equip sex crimes units with investigatory resources and prioritize sex crimes investigations over non-violent crimes. Departments should incentivize sex crimes assignments and screen applicants for quality, experience, and bias. Detectives in these units should undergo regular trainings on unfounding and probable cause criteria and should be required to make arrests when they have probable cause to do so.
Merging existing practices with new ones: the adjustment of organizational routines to using cancer patient pathways in primary healthcare
Authors: Fjällström Petter , Coe Anna-Britt , Lilja Mikael , Hajdarevic Senada
Published: January 2022

Background

The introduction of new tools can bring unintended consequences for organizational routines. Cancer Patient Pathways (CPP) were introduced into the Swedish healthcare system in 2015 to shorten time to diagnosis and treatment. Primary healthcare (PHC) plays a central role since cancer diagnosis often begins in PHC units. Our study aimed to understand how PHC units adjusted organizational routines to utilizing CPPs.

Method

Six PHC units of varied size from both urban and rural areas in northern Sweden were included. Grounded theory method was used to collect and analyse group interviews at each unit. Nine group interviews with nurses and physicians, for a total of 41 participants, were performed between March and November 2019. The interviews focused on CPPs as tools, the PHC units’ routines and providers’ experiences with using CPPs in their daily work.

Results

Our analysis captured how PHC units adjusted organizational routines to utilizing CPPs by fusing existing practices with new practices to offer better quality of care. Specifically, three overarching organizational routines within the PHC units were identified. First, Manoeuvring diverse patient needs with easier patient flow, the PHC units handled the diverse needs of the population while simultaneously drawing upon CPPs to ease the patient flow within the healthcare system. Second, (Dis) integrating internal know-how, the PHC units drew upon internal competence even when PHC know-how was not taken into account by those driving the CPP initiative. Third, Coping with unequal relationships toward secondary care, the PHC units dealt with being in an unequal position while adopting CPPs instead further decreased possibilities to influence decision-making between care-levels.

Conclusion

Adopting CPPs as a tool within PHC units brought various unintended consequences in organizational routines. Our study from northern Sweden illustrates that the PHC know-how needs to be integrated into the healthcare system to improve the use of new tools as CPP. Further, the relationships between different levels of care should be taken in account when introducing new tools for healthcare. Also, when adopting innovations, unintended consequences need to be further explored empirically in diverse healthcare contexts internationally in order to generate deeper knowledge in the research area.
A data quality assessment of the first four years of malaria reporting in the Senegal DHIS2, 2014–2017
Authors: Muhoza Pierre , Tine Roger , Faye Adama , Gaye Ibrahima , Zeger Scott L. , Diaw Abdoulaye , Gueye Alioune Badara , Kante Almamy Malick , Ruff Andrea , Marx Melissa A.
Published: January 2022

Background

As the global burden of malaria decreases, routine health information systems (RHIS) have become invaluable for monitoring progress towards elimination. The District Health Information System, version 2 (DHIS2) has been widely adopted across countries and is expected to increase the quality of reporting of RHIS. In this study, we evaluated the quality of reporting of key indicators of childhood malaria from January 2014 through December 2017, the first 4 years of DHIS2 implementation in Senegal.

Methods

Monthly data on the number of confirmed and suspected malaria cases as well as tests done were extracted from the Senegal DHIS2. Reporting completeness was measured as the number of monthly reports received divided by the expected number of reports in a given year. Completeness of indicator data was measured as the percentage of non-missing indicator values. We used a quasi-Poisson model with natural cubic spline terms of month of reporting to impute values missing at the facility level. We used the imputed values to take into account the percentage of malaria cases that were missed due to lack of reporting. Consistency was measured as the absence of moderate and extreme outliers, internal consistency between related indicators, and consistency of indicators over time.

Results

In contrast to public facilities of which 92.7% reported data in the DHIS2 system during the study period, only 15.3% of the private facilities used the reporting system. At the national level, completeness of facility reporting increased from 84.5% in 2014 to 97.5% in 2017. The percentage of expected malaria cases reported increased from 76.5% in 2014 to 94.7% in 2017. Over the study period, the percentage of malaria cases reported across all districts was on average 7.5% higher (P < 0.01) during the rainy season relative to the dry season. Reporting completeness rates were lower among hospitals compared to health centers and health posts. The incidence of moderate and extreme outlier values was 5.2 and 2.3%, respectively. The number of confirmed malaria cases increased by 15% whereas the numbers of suspected cases and tests conducted more than doubled from 2014 to 2017 likely due to a policy shift towards universal testing of pediatric febrile cases.

Conclusions

The quality of reporting for malaria indicators in the Senegal DHIS2 has improved over time and the data are suitable for use to monitor progress in malaria programs, with an understanding of their limitations. Senegalese health authorities should maintain the focus on broader adoption of DHIS2 reporting by private facilities, the sustainability of district-level data quality reviews, facility-level supervision and feedback mechanisms at all levels of the health system.