bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Community overview on the differential prevalence of Hepatitis E in two Sub Counties in Kitgum District: A qualitative study
Authors: Aloyo Judith , Kiguli Juliet , Garimoi Christopher Orach , Kitara David Lagoro
Published: December 2021

Background

There was an epidemic of Hepatitis E infection in Kitgum District in 2007. More than 10,422 people were infected, and over 166 deaths were registered due to the Hepatitis E virus. Kitgum District Health Management Information Systems (HMIS) showed that Hepatitis E cases continued to occur more in Mucwini than Kitgum Matidi Sub County despite instituting similar epidemic control measures in the two communities. The tenacity of the virus in Mucwini Sub County had remained unclear.
Objective

To assess communities’ views and perspectives on the differential prevalence of Hepatitis E in the two Sub Counties of Kitgum Matidi and Mucwini in Northern Uganda.
Methods

A cross-sectional study using qualitative methods was conducted. Four Focus Group discussions and six key informant interviews were conducted with village health teams, local council chairpersons, health workers, and community members. These persons were chosen purposively because of their expertise and experience in community and health services. Face-to-face interview guides were administered to obtain detailed information on factors associated with the differential occurrence of Hepatitis E in the two Sub Counties. This study was approved by a local IRB and Uganda National Council of Science and Technology (UNCS&T).
Results

The most significant findings from this study were the differences in prevention and control practices in the two communities. Residents of Mucwini were less compliant to infection, prevention, and control guidelines, and disagreements between local councilors and village health teams in Mucwini led to poor implementation and non-adherence to guidelines on community control of Hepatitis E.
Conclusion

A differentially higher prevalence of Hepatitis E in Mucwini than Kitgum Matidi Sub County resulted from poor personal and community hygiene and non-adherence to behavior change communication among residents Mucwini compared to their counterparts in Kitgum Midi. The authors recommend a more proactive approach in managing the epidemic by securing the willingness of the affected community to adopt appropriate infection prevention and control guidelines. In addition, disagreements among stakeholders should be resolved timely so that all community members adhere to control measures.
Celastrol and thymoquinone alleviate aluminum chloride-induced neurotoxicity: behavioral psychomotor performance, neurotransmitter level and oxidative-inflammatory burden in brain of rats
Authors: Abbas Faten , Eladl Mohamed Ahmed , El-Sherbiny Mohamed , Abozied Nadia , Nabil Amaal , Mahmoud Shereen M. , Zaitone Sawsan , Ibrahim Dalia
Published: December 2021

The exposure to metal aluminum such as aluminum chloride (AlCl3) induces inflammatory-oxidative reactions with progressive neurodegeneration in different brain regions in animal models. The current study was designed to assess the role of celastrol or thymoquinone (TQ) in alleviating AlCl3 induced behavioral psychomotor changes and oxidative-inflammatory burden in albino male rats. Four groups were used in this study, (i) vehicle control group, (ii) AlCL3 control group: rats received intraperitoneal injection (i.p.) of AlCl3 (10 mg/kg), (iii) AlCl3+TQ (10 mg/kg, i.p.) group and (iv) AlCl3+celastrol (1 mg/kg, i.p.) group. In general, all injections remained for 6 weeks. Behavioral psychomotor evaluation (open field test, rotarod test and forced Swimming test) were done to assess locomotor, motor coordination, anxiety-like behavior and depressive-like behavioral. Markers of oxidative stress, malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and catalase enzyme activity (CAT) and the proinflammatory mediators, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interlukin-6 (IL-6) were measured in the rat brains. Neurotransmitters including acetylcholine (ACh), dopamine and serotonin in addition to acetylcholinesterase enzyme (AChE) level were measured in brain homogenates. Our results demonstrated that daily injection of TQ or celastrol significantly improved behavior psychomotor deficits, decreased AChE activity towards their normal levels. Tissue oxidative stress and proinflammatory markers were modulated by TQ and celastrol. These results concluded that TQ and celastrol have useful in alleviating AlCl3-induced neurotoxicity by their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Hence, they are looking promising for investigating their preventive effect in animal models of neurodegenerative diseases.
Chemoradiotherapy is an Alternative Choice for Patients with Primary Mediastinal Seminoma
Authors: Zhai Yirui , Chen Bo , Feng Xiaoli , Liu Kan , Wang Shulian , Hui Zhouguang , Feng Qinfu , Li Junling , Xiao Zefen , Lv Jima , Gao Yushun , Liu Yueping , Fang Hui , Wang Jianyang , Deng Lei , Liu Wenyang , Wang Wenqing , Zhou Zongmei , Li Ye-Xiong
Published: December 2021

Background: The low incidence of primary mediastinal seminomas has precluded the development of clinical trials on mediastinal seminomas. We investigated the clinicopathologic characteristics, prognosis of patients with primary mediastinal seminomas as well as the efficiency of nonsurgical treatments compared with treatments containing surgery.Methods: We retrospectively collected data on the clinicopathologic characteristics, treatments, toxicities, and survival of 27 patients from a single center between 2000 and 2018. Patients were divided into two groups according to whether they received operation. Survivals were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate analysis was performed using the log-rank test.Results: The median age was 28 (13-63) years. The most common symptoms were chest pain (29.6%), cough (25.9%), and dyspnea (22.2%). There were 13 and 14 patients in surgery and non-surgery group. Patients in the non-surgical group were more likely to be with poor performance scores (100% vs.76.9%) and disease invaded to adjacent structures(100% vs.76.9%) especially great vessels(100% vs.46.2%).The median follow-up period was 32.23 (2.7-198.2) months. There was no significant difference of overall survival (5-year 100% vs 100%), cancer-specific survival (5-year 100% vs.100%), local regional survival (5-year 91.7% vs.90.0%, p=0.948) , distant metastasis survival (5-year 100.0% vs. 90.9%, p=0.340) and progression-free survival (82.5% vs.90.0%, p=0.245) between patients with and without surgery. Conclusions: Primary mediastinal seminoma was with favorable prognosis, even though frequently invasion into adjacent structures brings difficulties to surgery administration. Chemoradiotherapy is an alternative treatment with both efficacy and safety.
Credit and Liquidity Risk Assessment of NCC Bank: A Correlational Analysis
Authors: Chowdhury Md. Ataur Rahman
Published: December 2021

Credit risk and default risk are two interchangeable terms. Credit risk arises mainly from the lending, trade finance, leasing, and treasury business. This can be described as a potential loss from a counterparty's failure to perform as per contractual agreement with the bank being financially incapable or unwilling to repay it. Financial incapability arises when the creditor's source of earning becomes volatile. The unwillingness comes from the creditor's tendency to cheat and to make a bulk grain from the fraudulent activities. At a stretch, credit risk for the bank illustrates that the bank's performing loan portion can turn into non-performing ones. And that will decrease the recovery rate of the loan extended, and, as a result, the bank will face trouble providing the required interest amount by the depositors. Gradually the bank will become insolvent and maybe some days a bankrupt one.
Downlink Transmission And Channel Estimation For Cell-Free Massive MIMO-OFDM With Symbol Time Offset
Authors: Guo Yunxiang , Fan Zhenqi , Lu An , Wang Pan , Liu Dongjie , Xia Xinjiang , Wang Dongming
Published: December 2021

In a cell-free massive MIMO system, multiple users arrive at multiple access points at separate times, while in an OFDM system, different delays can be equivalent to symbol timing offsets (STOs). Since symbol timing offsets are not all the same, in the downlink transmission process, it is necessary to consider its impact on transmission techniques, such as channel estimation and downlink precoding. In this paper, aiming at the performance loss caused by STO in cell-free massive MIMO-OFDM system, we propose a multi-RB precoding optimization algorithm that maximizes the downlink sum rate. We derive the sum rate maximization problem into an iterative second-order cone programming (SOCP) form to achieve convex approximation. Then, considering the impact of STO on the accuracy of cell-free massive MIMO-OFDM channel estimation, we propose a downlink channel estimation method, which jointly uses channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) and demodulation reference signal (DMRS). Simulation results show that the proposed multi-RB optimal precoding can effectively improve the downlink sum rate, and the proposed downlink channel estimation can obtain accurate multi-RB frequency domain channel parameters.
Calibrated comparison of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody levels in response to protein-, mRNA-, and vector-based COVID-19 vaccines
Authors: Karbiener Michael , Farcet Maria R , Zollner Andreas , Masuda Taisei , Mori Mitsuhiro , Moschen Alexander R , Kreil Thomas R
Published: December 2021

SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies have been suggested to reflect the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. This study reports the first direct comparison of the SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody response elicited by a protein- (NVX-CoV2373), an mRNA- (Comirnaty), and a vector-based (Vaxzevria) COVID-19 vaccine, calibrated against the WHO international SARS-CoV-2 antibody standard, and further supports the use of neutralizing antibody levels as correlate of protection.
LC-MS-Based Metabolomics Analysis Revealed Deleterious Effect of Infrapatellar Fat Pad on Articular Chondrocytes of Osteoarthritis
Authors: Zeng Ni , Yan Zhi-Peng , Liao Tao , Li Jie-Ting , Chen Yan , Ni Guo-Xin
Published: December 2021

Objective: To investigate the interaction of infrapatellar fat pad/cartilage and related mechanisms in knee osteoarthritis (OA) using the metabolomics method.Method: Fat-conditioned media (FCM) of the infrapatellar fat pad from patients with OA were used to treat human OA chondrocytes. The extracellular metabolites of human OA chondrocytes were detected by nontargeted metabolic footprint analysis based on liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Then, the different metabolites were found, and the main metabolic pathways were explored, combined with bioinformatics methods.Results: After treatment with FCM for 48 h, the proliferation of human OA chondrocytes was slowed down, indicating that FCM had a certain inhibitory effect on the proliferation of human OA chondrocytes (P = 0.023). On the pattern diagram of principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), after FCM treatment, the data sample areas were obviously separated, indicating that FCM can significantly affect the metabolic footprint of human OA chondrocytes. Through metabonomic identification, 131 different metabolites were screened after FCM treatment compared with before treatment. For 4 pathways in total, significantly different activity levels were discovered in pairwise comparisons: alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism; citrate cycle (TCA cycle); arginine and proline metabolism; and phenylalanine metabolism.Conclusion: The infrapatellar fat pad aggravates OA chondrocyte injury and is involved in OA by disturbing the chondrocyte TCA cycle, amino acid metabolism, and glutamine metabolism, among others.
CYP-450 Mediated Herb-Drug Interactions of Ashwagandha and AYUSH-64 Used in COVID-19 Integrative Management: A Case Example of Remdesivir
Authors: Kasarla Siva Swapna , Borse Swapnil , Kumar Yashwant , Sharma Neha , Dikshit Madhu
Published: December 2021

AimWithania somnifera Dunal (WS), known as Ashwagandha and AYUSH-64, a polyherbal formulation are repurposed for the management of COVID-19. The extensive use of these botanicals as home remedy along with other drugs for managing multifarious disease conditions is increasing over nations. This raises high chances of herb-drug interactions (HDIs) which may be beneficial, harmful, or even fatal. Therefore, current study aimed to explore the CYP mediated herb-drug interactions (HDIs) of Ashwagandha and AYUSH-64 along with case example of remdesivir to harness the best of these HDIs for integrative management of COVID-19Materials and MethodsThe aqueous extract of Ashwagandha and AYUSH-64 were characterized by LC-MS/MS. The in-silico pharmacokinetic (ADME) parameters were studied by using ADME tool. The in-vitro CYP-450 (CYP3A4, 2C8, 2D6) inhibition studies of WS and AYUSH-64 alone and in combination with a remdesivir were carried out resembling clinically scenario.ResultsTotal of 11 and 24 phytoconstituents were identified from the aqueous extract of Aswagandha and AYUSH-64. The in-silico ADME studies revealed that most of the phytoconstituents showed good oral bioavailability, drug likeliness, GI affinity and some of them displayed CYP-450 inhibitory activity. The in-vitro CYP-450 studies of remdesivir showed moderate inhibitory effect on CYP3A4, 2C8, 2D6. The aqueous extract of Aswagandha did not show any inhibitory activity towards all the studied CYP’s alone and in combination with remdesivir (IC50 >100µg/ml). Whereas, AYUSH-64 also followed the same trend but showed moderate inhibitory effect on CYP2C8 (IC50 <100µg/ml).ConclusionAswagandha did not exhibit HDIs with the CYP3A4, CYP2C8 and CYP2D6 thereby seem to be safe to co-administer with respective substrates. Whereas, AYUSH-64 only showed moderate HDIs towards CYP2C8 substrate among studied CYP enzymes. Caution is therefore warranted for prescribing AYUSH 64 along with CYP2C8 substrate drugs.
Correlation Between Changes of Pelvic Bone Marrow Fat Content and Hematological Toxicity in Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy for Cervical Cancer
Authors: Wang Cong , Qin Xiaohang , Gong Guanzhong , Wang Lizhen , Su Ya , Yin Yong
Published: December 2021

Objectives: To quantify the pelvic bone marrow (PBM) fat content changes receiving different radiation doses of concurrent chemoradiotherapy for cervical cancer and to determine association with peripheral blood cell counts. Methods: Fifty-four patients were prospectively collected. Patients underwent MRI iterative decomposition of water and fat with echo asymmetrical and least squares estimation (IDEAL IQ) scanning at RT-Pre, RT mid-point, RT end, and six months. The changes in proton density fat fraction (PDFF%) at 5–10 Gy, 10–15 Gy, 15–20 Gy, 20–30 Gy, 30–40 Gy, 40–50 Gy, and >50 Gy doses were analyzed. Spearman’s rank correlations were performed between peripheral blood cell counts versus the differences in PDFF% at different dose gradients before and after treatment. Results: The lymphocytes (ALC) nadirs appeared at the midpoint of radiotherapy, which was only 27.6% of RT-Pre; the white blood cells (WBC), neutrophils (ANC), and platelets (PLT) nadirs appeared at the end of radiotherapy which was 52.4%, 65.1%, and 69.3% of RT-Pre, respectively. At RT mid-point and RT-end, PDFF% increased by 46.8% and 58.5%, respectively. Six months after radiotherapy, PDFF% decreased by 4.71% under 5–30 Gy compared to RT-end; while it still increased by 55.95% compared to RT-Pre. There was a significant positive correlation between PDFF% and ANC nadirs at 5–10 Gy (r = 0.62, P = 0.006), and correlation was observed between PDFF% and ALC nadirs at 5–10 Gy (r = 0.554, P = 0.017). Conclusion: MRI IDEAL IQ imaging was a non-invasive approach to evaluate and track the changes of PBM fat content with concurrent chemoradiotherapy for cervical cancer. The limitation of low-dose bone marrow irradiation volume in cervical cancer concurrent chemoradiotherapy should be paid more attention.
A Five-year retrospective hospital-based study on epidemiological data regarding human Leishmaniasis in West Kordofan state - Sudan
Authors: Abdullah A. A , AHMED Musa , GADEED Ahmed , Eltayeb Adam , AHMED Safa , HAMAD Suad , Hussein Mohammed
Published: December 2021

Background

Leishmaniasis is a parasitic zoonotic disease caused by the Leishmania parasites genus. The estimation of this disease is very important to inform the health care policymakers and the governments to applied proper health and economic policies. Thus, this study aimed, to find out the frequency and distribution of human leishmaniasis in West Kordofan state, based on sex and age during 5 years- Sudan.
Methods

Five years retrospective study from 2016 through 2020 was carried out using local hospital records of leishmaniasis patients. The age and gender of each patient were recorded. The collected data were analysed using STATA package version 16.
Results

A total of 162,443 patient records from 2016 to 2020 were retrieved. Of these, 4.39% were found to be positive for leishmaniasis. The disease has been more common in males (65.3%) than in females (, 34.7%). The highest reported prevalence (6.58%) was in patients 15-44 years old, which was, and the lowest prevalence (1.95%) was among patients in ≥65-year-old.
Conclusion

The current study indicates that leishmaniasis is endemic in the study area even though the numbers of patients in the five consecutive years were varying. Besides, the disease was common in males and adults.
Perceptions Towards Childhood Asthma and Barriers To Its Management Among Patients, Caregivers and Healthcare Providers: A Qualitative Study From Ethiopia
Authors: Kassa Eden , Kebede Rahel Argaw , Habte Bruck Messele
Published: December 2021

Background

The management of asthma, which is one of the major causes of childhood morbidity and mortality has been affected by non-adherence to recommended treatment regimens with severe consequences. The aim of the present study was therefore to explore the perceptions of the children with asthma, their caregivers and their healthcare providers towards asthma and barriers to long term childhood asthma management in an institutional setting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Methods

A qualitative descriptive design was followed for the present study that used individual interviews as a data collection method. The study participants were 23 pairs of children with asthma that had treatment follow ups in two tertiary hospitals and their caregivers and eight healthcare providers who cared for these children. The data was analyzed using thematic analysis approach.
Results

The study findings revealed that the children and their caregivers were facing physical, emotional and social burdens related with asthma and reported low adherence to their recommended treatment regimens. Factors affecting childhood asthma management were found to be limited awareness about asthma and its management and inadequate education received from healthcare professionals. Non-adherence to especially inhaled corticosteroids appears to be influenced by necessity beliefs towards chronic administration of treatment regimens and concerns related with difficulty of administration, fear of side effects and general bad attitude towards it, in addition to their low availability and affordability.
Conclusions

Varied perceptions about asthma and its management were reported by children with asthma and their caregivers compared to the biomedical recommendation that were related to different factors. This in turn may contribute to the low adherence of the children to their recommended regimens and suboptimal health outcomes. The findings support the need for strong asthma care and education programs that are sensitive to local and individual patients’ and family perceptions and experiences including emotional distress and of the need to institute chronic care approach.
Hydrothermal Assisted Biogenic Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles And Their Anticandidal Activity On Virulent Candida Isolates From COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Khalil Fatma O , Ghonaim Enas M. , El-sattar Shimaa Abed , Elkhadry Sally W. , El-Refai Hala , Taj Muhammad Babar , Ali Omar Makram , Elgawad Ahmed Salah A. , Alshater Heba
Published: December 2021

Till now the exact mechanism and effect of biogenic silver nanoparticles on fungus is an indefinable question. To focus on this issue, we prepared hydrothermal assisted thyme coated silver nanoparticles (T/AgNPs) and their toxic effect on Candida isolates is described. The role of thyme (Thymus Vulgaris) in the reduction of silver ions and stabilization of T/AgNPs are estimated by Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy, structure and size of present silver nanoparticles were detected via atomic force microscopy as well as high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The biological activity of T/AgNPs was observed against Candida isolates from COVID-19 Patients. Testing of virulence of Candida species using Multiplex PCR. T/AgNPs proved highly effective against Candida albicans, Candida kruzei, Candida glabrata and MIC values ranging from 156.25 to 1,250 µg/mL and MFC values ranging from 312.5 to 5,000 µg/mL. The structural and morphological modifications due to T/AgNPs on Candida albicans were detected by TEM. It was highly observed that when Candida albicans cells were subjected to 50 and 100 µg/mL T/AgNPs, a remarkable change in the cell wall and cell membrane was observed.
JPTQ Decoction Inhibits Tumor Proliferation and Lung Metastasis in Tumor-bearing Mice with Triple Negative Breast Cancer
Authors: Zhang Jin , Cai Biyu , Ye Chenxiao , Li Xinrong , Chen Haitao , Lu Yi , Xu Zhili , Yao Qinghua , Guo Yong
Published: December 2021

Background.
With the increasing incidence of breast cancer and the integration of multiple methods in the treatment, traditional Chinese medicine plays an increasingly important role in the comprehensive treatment of breast cancer. we aimed to determine the anti-cancer metastasis effect of Jianpi Tiaoqi Decoction (JPTQ) on breast cancer-bearing mice by monitoring the effects of its on tumor proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) process and regulation of immune microenvironment.
Methods.
The general phenotype of the Cancer-bearing mice was monitored. Bioluminescence-imaging was performed to assess the tumor status and the metastatic status of other organs. We investigated its mechanism of the effect through transcriptome analysis, Flow Cytometry(FCM) was used to analyze peripheralblood CD4+ T cells, spleen T helper 1 (Th1) cell, the proportion of MDSCs in lung. The changes of EMT process, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and Ki-67, Caspase-3 and Bcl-2 were detected by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR), western blot (WB) or immunohistochemistry (IHC).
Results.
JPTQ inhibited the tumors proliferation and reduced lung metastasis. The transcriptome analysis of lung and tumor tissues indicated that EMT-related genes, angiogenesis, proliferation and apoptosis genes were regulated in JPTQ group, and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis observed enrichment of immune-related pathways. FCM suggested that JPTQ could reduced the proportion of M-MDSCs in the lung, and increased peripheral blood CD4+ T cells and Th1 cells in spleen. The q-PCR, WB or IHC assay demonstrated that E-cadherin was up-regulated in lung and tumor tissue, and Snail was down-regulated, the expression of matrix metalloprotein-9(MMP-9)was down-regulated in lung tissue. IHC showed the down-regulation of Ki67 and VEGF in lung and tumo tissues. WB found that Cleved-Caspase3 was significantly up-regulated, while Bcl-2 was down-regulated.
Conclution.
JPTQ can inhibit proliferation, angiogenesis, promote apoptosis and improve the immune microenvironment, and reverse the EMT process to inhibit the proliferation and metastasis of TNBC.
Validation of Sinhala Version of Brief COPE Scale in Patients with Cancer in Sri Lanka
Authors: Weeratunga Eranthi , Senadheera Chandanie , Hettiarachchi Manjula , Perera Bilesha
Published: December 2021

Background

Coping strategies are essential in the cancer management/recovery process and show an integral part in patients with cancer globally. In Sri Lanka, validated scales to measure coping are scarce. This study was examined the Sinhalese version of the Brief COPE for its psychometric properties.
Methods

This scale is self-administered (28 items) and consists of adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies; divided into 14 subscales. Cancer patients were registered ‘first come - first serve’ basis using their appointment register at the Radiotherapy Unit, Oncology ward, Teaching Hospital, Karapitiya, Galle, Sri Lanka. They were requested to complete the Sinhalese version of the Brief COPE and demographic details. Test-retest reliability was checked using the same subjects two weeks later. Factorial validity was performed using exploratory factor and principal component analysis. Results were regarded as statistically significant if p < 0.05.
Results

The mean (±SD) age of the sample was 61(±12) years. The mean adaptive coping (±SD) and maladaptive coping were 37.50 (±8.14) and 17.10 (±2.44) respectively. The internal consistency of the overall scale was good (Cronbach’s alpha - 0.819). Adaptive and maladaptive coping showed a high Cronbach’s alpha (0.861 and 0.396). The test-retest reliability was found to be 0.66. The Sinhala version of BC was found to have a negative correlation with the CES-D scale but was positively correlated with the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. Seven factors were extracted.
Conclusion

The Sinhala version of the Brief COPE is a valid and reliable tool to assess coping strategies among patients with cancer. The findings of this study would let the health authorities get an understanding of coping strategies among patients with cancer; and the impact on cancer victims and family members to relieve their suffering.
Metabolomic Biomarkers Related to Non-suicidal Self-injury in Patients with Bipolar Disorder
Authors: Guo Xiangjie , Jia Jiao , Zhang Zhiyong , Miao Yuting , Wu Peng , Bai Yaqin , Ren Yan
Published: December 2021

Background: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is an important symptom of bipolar disorder (BD) and other mental disorders and has attracted the attention of researchers lately. Metabolomics is a relatively new field that can provide complementary insights into data obtained from genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic analyses of psychiatric disorders. The aim of this study was to identify the metabolic pathways associated with BD with NSSI and assess important diagnostic and predictive indices of NSSI in BD.Method: Nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry was performed to evaluate the serum metabolic profiles of patients with BD with NSSI (n = 31), patients with BD without NSSI (n = 46), and healthy controls (n = 10). Data were analyzed using an Orthogonal Partial Least Square Discriminant Analysis and a t-test. Differential metabolites were identified (VIP > 1 and p < 0.05), and further analyzed using Metabo Analyst 3.0 to identify associated metabolic pathways.Results: Eight metabolites in the serum and two important metabolic pathways, the urea and glutamate metabolism cycles, were found to distinguish patients with BD with NSSI from healthy controls. Eight metabolites in the serum, glycine and serine metabolism pathway, and the glucose-alanine cycle were found to distinguish patients with BD without NSSI from healthy controls. Five metabolites in the serum and the purine metabolism pathway were found to distinguish patients with BD with NSSI from those with BD without NSSI.Conclusions: Abnormalities in the urea cycle, glutamate metabolism, and purine metabolism played important roles in the pathogenesis of BD with NSSI.
Modified comb-shaped antisense oligonucleotides may secure us against many important viral diseases including AIDS
Authors: Ibrahim Ahmed
Published: December 2021

To inhibit HIV replication and infection, we have designed novel linear single stranded modified antisense nucleic acid oligonucleotides ending with or without chain terminating bases (Which resemble the shape of the comb). They were targeting specifically the HIV-1 clone pNL4-3 strong promoter pre PBS region to stop cDNA synthesis within or before the R region, preventing the viral reverse transcriptase (RT) jumping to the 3' end and continue copying the virus. The main advantages of our comb shaped oligonucleotides are their specificity and extreme protection against resistance by known viral mutations. Promising results were obtained for two 15-mer compounds at one tenth azidothymidine concentration. As a result we claim that when adapted properly, the comb shaped antivirals can be used to target the genomic RNA of a number of serious viruses such as for example Ebola, SARS-CoV-2, Influenza, Dengue, hepatitis C, Chikungunya and Zika as they are all using polymerases to copy their genomic RNA1-8. Their genomic RNA could be destroyed through the human or viral endonucleases instead of the viral RT RNAseH site when their polymerases are stopped at specific sites.
Systolic and Diastolic Inter-Arm Blood Pressure Difference: A Cross-Sectional Study Of 3030 Young Healthy Adults
Authors: Essa Rawand , Ahmed Sirwan
Published: December 2021

More than 100 years ago, the difference in blood pressure (BP) between arms was first reported. Recent studies have shown that different blood pressure between the right and left arm leads to cardiovascular events. Three thousand and thirty volunteers participated in our study. The sIABP was equal in 163 of 3030 persons (5.37%), dIABP was equal in 222 out of 3030 persons (7.32%), from a total of 792/3030 persons (26.1%) sIAD > 10 mmHg, and dIAD > or =10 mmHg was found in 927 out of 3030 persons (33.5%) in the right arm, and 32.4% in the left arm. In 2692 of 3030 volunteers BP, initially recorded in the dominant hand (right arm), showing sIAD> or = 10 mmHg was found in 943 (37.1%) volunteers, and when the first measurement was done in 338 left-handed volunteers it showed sIAD> or = 10 mmHg in 112 of 338 (34.1%), P < 0.001; 95% confidence interval for systolic right hand were (115.73: 116.73), and for systolic left hand 95% confidence interval were (113.17:114.15). Furthermore, height, residential area, and heart rate above 90 bpm had a significant effect on IAD (P =. 041, .002, <001, respectively). In conclusions significant inter-arm systolic and diastolic BP differences above (10 mm Hg) is common in the young, healthy population. Hand dominance is a significant consideration while measuring blood pressure. It is mandatory to measure blood pressure in both arms in a sitting position with a stable condition.
The Effects of Intravitreal Agents on Systemic Vascular Diseases in Patients with Diabetic Retinopathy
Authors: Ozmen Sedat , çakır burçin , aksoy nilgün özkan , çelik erkan , aras yeşim güzey , coşansu kahraman
Published: December 2021

Purpose: To assess the risk for cerebrovascular desease (CVD) and coronary artery disease (CAD) in diabetic patients who were treated with intravitreal anti-VEGF agents and compare the rates of CVD and CAD with diabetic controls. Methods: A retrospective chart review of diabetic patients was performed. The need for intravitreal injection and type of agent were noted. If clinically significant or center-involving diabetic macular edema (DME) were determined, intravitreal anti-VEGF agents were used. The CVD and/or CAD occurred within 6 months of the intravitreal injection were accepted as the main outcomes of the study. The records of diabetic patients who were followed up but not needed intravitreal injections were accepted as the control group of the study. Comparisons between these groups were performed.Results: The number of patients enrolled in the study was 9751 (5243 female, 4508 male patients). Of these patients, 1261 patients were received various intravitreal injections. Patients who had CVD history were divided into two groups according to whether they received intravitreal injection or not. There was statistically significant difference between these groups in terms of CVD history (p<0,001). There was statistically significant difference in the hazard of CVD between different anti-VEGF treatments (p<0,001). Patients who had CAD history were divided into two groups according to whether they received intravitreal injection or not. There was no statistically significant difference between these groups in terms of CAD history (p=0,31). Discussion: The risk for CVD was seen to increase with the intravitreal anti-VEGF treatment in diabetic patients. The rate of CVD was higher in patients who received intravitreal bevacizumab treatment.
The electronic tree of life (eTOL): a net of long probes to characterize the human microbiome from RNA-seq data
Authors: Hu Xinyue , Haas Jürgen , Lathe Richard
Published: December 2021

Background

Microbiome analysis generally requires PCR-based or metagenomic shotgun sequencing, sophisticated programs, and large volumes of data. Alternative approaches based on widely available RNA-seq data are constrained because of sequence similarities between the transcriptomes of microbes/viruses and those of the host, compounded by the extreme abundance of host sequences in such libraries. Current approaches are also limited to specific microbial groups. There is a need for alternative methods of microbiome analysis that encompass the entire tree of life.
Results

We report a method to specifically retrieve non-human sequences in human tissue RNA-seq data. For cellular microbes we used a bioinformatic 'net', based on filtered 64-mer small subunit rRNA sequences across the Tree of Life (the 'electronic tree of life', eTOL), to comprehensively (98%) entrap all non-human rRNA sequences present in the target tissue. Using brain as a model, retrieval of matching reads, re-exclusion of human-related sequences, followed by contig building and species identification, is followed by reconfirmation of the abundance and identity of the corresponding species groups. We provide methods to automate this analysis. A variant approach is necessary for viruses. Again, because of significant matches between viral and human sequences, a 'stripping' approach is essential. In addition, contamination during workup is a potential problem, and we discuss strategies to circumvent this issue. To illustrate the versatility of the method, we report the use of the eTOL methodology to unambiguously identify exogenous microbial and viral sequences in human tissue RNA-seq data across the entire tree of life including Archaea, Bacteria, Chloroplastida, basal Eukaryota, Fungi, and Holozoa/Metazoa, and discuss the technical and bioinformatic challenges involved.
Conclusions

This generic methodology may find wider application in microbiome analysis including diagnostics.
Feeling the burn in the era of COVID-19: Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Arabic version of the Copenhagen Burnout inventory among community pharmacists
Authors: Youssef Dalal , Abou-Abbas Linda , Youssef Janet
Published: December 2021

Background

Community pharmacists (CPs) are one of the frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) working diligently to provide much-needed services during the COVID-19 pandemic. They are suffering from the detrimental impact of this pandemic which affected negatively their mental health and fueled their burnout.

Objectives

This study aimed to validate the Arabic version of Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI-A) for use in the assessment of burnout among Lebanese CPs.

Methods

Using a snowball sampling technique, a web-based cross-sectional study was conducted among Lebanese CPs over February 2021. Data were collected using an anonymous Arabic self-administered questionnaire that includes information on socio-demographic characteristics, work-related variables, in addition to the measurements: the CBI which includes personal, work-related, and patient-related dimensions of burnout, and the hospital anxiety and depression scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS and Amos software. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were performed to explore the factorial structure and to measure model fit. Cronbach’s alpha was used to assess internal consistency. The criterion validity of the CBI was assessed. Multivariable linear regression analyses were used to explore the association between different aspects of burnout and mental health outcomes such as depression and anxiety.

Results

The CBI-A showed high internal consistency with Cronbach’s alphas varied from 0.774 to 0.902 and a low flooring and ceiling effect (1– 9%). As for the CBI-A’ construct validity, the exploratory factor analysis showed three factors with good factor loadings and explained 72.17% of the variance. The confirmatory analysis supported the three-factorial structure of the CBI that presented a good overall fit revealed by the goodness of fit indices. Based on the modification indices, the three-factor model was adapted by allowing one covariate error between one pair of items within the personal burnout domain. All of the 19 items were kept in the construct since they showed a good factorial weight. The CBI-A is associated with burnout-related factors in expected directions, including extensive working hours, sleeping hours, and job satisfaction, indicating criterion validity. CBI subscales were found also positively associated with mental health outcomes such as depression and anxiety indicating a predictive validity.

Conclusion

This study provides evidence for the validity and reliability of the Arabic version of CBI as an adequate tool for assessing burnout among CPs. Such an instrument could be useful for assessing such syndrome among other healthcare workers.
Prognostic characterization of the pyroptosis-related subtypes and tumor microenvironment infiltration in glioma
Authors: He Jiarong , Jia Jiaoying , Lei Jiawei , Yu Jingyu , Zhou Wen , Zhang Mingming
Published: December 2021

Background

Pyroptosis could regulate tumor cell trafficking, invasion, and metastasis, as well as tumor microenvironment (TME). However, prognostic characteristics of pyroptosis-related genes (PRGs) and their impact on the progression of glioma remain insufficient.

Methods

The genetic, transcriptional, and survival data of glioma patients used for bioinformatics analysis were obtained from the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases.

Results

We first screened two different molecular subtypes and found that PRG variations were associated with the characteristics of TME cell infiltration, clinicopathological characteristics, and prognosis of patients with glioma. After Cox regression of differentially expressed genes, a risk-score for predicting overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) was calculated and its predictive accuracy in glioma patients was then validated. The high-risk group of PRGs signature showed a significantly poor OS compared to the low-risk group (training cohort, p <0.001, validation cohort, p <0.001). A high risk-score implies more immune cell infiltration and a better immunotherapy response to immune checkpoint blockers. Furthermore, the risk-score was significantly associated with the chemotherapeutic drug sensitivity and cancer stem cell (CSC) index. Subsequently, we established a highly accurate nomogram to facilitate the applicability in the preliminary clinical application of the risk-score.

Conclusion

Our findings may lay the foundation for future research targeting pyroptosis in glioma and pave the way for evaluating prognosis and developing more effective immunotherapy strategies.
Reference ranges Of Uterine Artery Doppler Indices (Pulsatility index and Resistivity index) in pregnant women of Eastern part of Uttar Pradesh INDIA
Authors: Rani Anjali , Jain Madhu , Shukla RC , Ishan Ishan , Singh TB , Singh Girish , Mohammedzadehasl Milad , Bhushan Ravi , Upadhyay Sonal
Published: December 2021

ObjectivePreeclampsia and eclampsia are one of major cause of maternal mortality. Various parameters like pulsatility index (PI) and resistivity index (RI) of color Doppler are helpful in detection of preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction. The reference ranges of the various parameters like uterine artery PI and RI are mainly from western countries. The reference range for Indian Population is lacking. So the objective of the study is to construct reference range of uterine artery for women from eastern India.Material and MethodIn this study, total 201 pregnant patients were included. Color Doppler of normal pregnant women was done at 18 to 22 weeks and then followed up at 28 to 32 weeks gestation. The uterine artery PI and RI was measured during pregnancy. The obtained data were tabulated and 5th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th and 95th percentile was calculated. The reference range was constructed according to gestational age starting from 18 to 22 weeks and then from 28 to 34 weeks. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS.ResultThe main parameter observed are pulsatility and resistivity index of left and right uterine arteries first at 18 to 22 weeks and then followed up at 28 to 34 weeks. Our data suggests that as the gestational age increases both pulsatility and resistivity index decreases. The cut off value for reference range was taken up to 95th percentile. Anything above 95th percentile is abnormal. The reference range for left uterine artery pulsatility index was found to be 1.19 to 1.16 at 18 to 22 weeks, 1.09 at 28 weeks while 0.89 at 34 weeks. Similarly, the reference range for resistivity index was found to be 0.61 at 18 to 22 weeks while it decreases to 0.54 at 28 to 34 weeks.ConclusionReference range of uterine artery doppler indices for the local population is very useful tool to early prediction of Preeclampsia and IUGRs of that population and can aid in timely treatment of mother and baby. Our data shows decrease in pulsatility and resistivity index with increase in the gestational age.
Comparison Of Collagen-Curcumin Blend (Collaper Rtu)With Intralesional Steroid Injections in Oral Submucous Fibrosis a Randomized, Open-Label Interventional Study.
Authors: Kwatra Bharat , Pahwa Manya
Published: December 2021

Introduction: Oral Submucous Fibrosis (OSMF) is a precancerous condition characterized by limited mouth opening, burning sensation, stiffness, and blanching of the oral mucosa induced by areca nut eating. With any of the current therapy regimens, complete regression of the illness has not been accomplished in all patients. Curcumin is a yellow pigment found in curry powder that has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and pro-apoptotic properties. As a result, interventional research was conducted to determine the efficacy of Collaper RTu a proprietary collagen-curcumin based product in patients with OSMF.Setting and design: Forty patients with clinically and histologically confirmed Oral Submucous Fibrosis participated in a randomized open label interventional research. Method & materials: For the research, forty patients with clinically and histologically verified Oral Submucous Fibrosis were randomly assigned to one of two groups. The first group was given a weekly intralesional injection of 4 mg Dexamethasone and 1500 I.U Hyaluronidase, whereas the second was given two Collagen-Curcumin pills (Collaper Rtu 60mg Collagen with 100 mg Curcumin) every day for three months. On a weekly basis, the improvement of burning sensation, interincisal distance, and tongue protrusion was assessed.Results: From early to late stages, the burning feeling improved in both groups. Collaper Rtu was found to eliminate the burning feeling. In groups 1 and 2, the mean increase in interincisal distance was 3.13 mm and 1.25 mm, respectively. The interincisal distance improved significantly in both groups by the end of the first month. When compared to group 2, group 1's tongue protrusion recovered faster at the conclusion of the first month. Conclusion: Collaper RTu is useful and effective in lowering the burning feeling in people with early OSMF.
Effects of NRF-1 and PGC-1α Cooperation on HIF-1α and Rat Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis Under Hypoxia
Authors: Niu Nan , Li Hui , Du Xiancai , Wang Chan , Li Junliang , Yang Jihui , Liu Cheng , Yang Songhao , Zhu Yazhou , Zhao Wei
Published: December 2021

Hypoxia is a primary inducer of cardiomyocyte injury, its significant marker being hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Nuclear respiratory factor-1 (NRF-1) and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α are transcriptional regulatory elements implicated in multiple biological functions, including oxidative stress response. However, their roles in hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis remain unknown. The effect HIF-α, together with NRF-1, exerts on cardiomyocyte apoptosis also remains unclear. We established a myocardial hypoxia model and investigated the effects of these proteins on the proliferation and apoptosis of rat cardiomyocytes (H9C2) under hypoxia. Further, we examined the association between NRF-1 and HIF-1α to improve the current understanding of NRF-1 anti-apoptotic mechanisms. The results showed that NRF-1 and HIF-1α are important anti-apoptotic molecules in H9C2 cells under hypoxia, although their regulatory mechanisms differ. NRF-1 could bind to the promoter region of Hif-1α and negatively regulate its expression. Additionally, HIF-1β exhibited competitive binding with NRF-1 and HIF-1α, demonstrating a synergism between NRF-1 and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1α. These results indicate that cardiomyocytes can regulate different molecular patterns to tolerate hypoxia, providing a novel methodological framework for studying cardiomyocyte apoptosis under hypoxia.
Towards Automatic Motivator Selection for Autism Behavior Intervention Therapy
Authors: Siyam Nur , Abdallah Sherief
Published: December 2021

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) usually show little interest in academic activities and may display disruptive behavior when presented with assignments. Research indicates that incorporating motivational variables during interventions results in improvements in behavior and academic performance. However, the impact of such motivational variables varies between children. In this paper, we aim to solve the problem of selecting the right motivator for children with ASD using Reinforcement Learning by adapting to the most influential factors impacting the effectiveness of the contingent motivator used. We model the task of selecting a motivator as a Markov Decision Process problem. The states, actions and rewards design consider the factors that impact the effectiveness of a motivator based on Applied Behavior Analysis as well as learners’ individual preferences. We use a Q-Learning algorithm to solve the modelled problem. Our proposed solution is then implemented as a mobile application developed for special education plans coordination. To evaluate the motivator selection feature, we conduct a study involving a group of teachers and therapists and assess how the added feature aids the participants in their decision-making process of selecting a motivator. Preliminary results indicated that the motivator selection feature improved the usability of the mobile app. Analysis of the algorithm performance showed promising results and indicated improvement of the recommendations over time.