bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modal Reduction of Synthetic Jet Actuator Based Separation Control With Spectral POD
Authors: Shi Xuan , Sullivan Pierre
Published: December 2020

A synthetic jet actuator (SJA) is a zero-net-mass-flux device that imparts fluid momentum and is useful for active flow control (AFC). In many applications, airfoil performance is often limited or degraded by flow separation which is usually associated with loss of lift, increased drag, and kinetic energy losses. Therefore, it is of interest to investigate methods of separation region suppression with the forcing control of SJA. This paper studies the flow behavior of cross flow over an airfoil and how the addition of SJA influences flow characteristics. Using the Spectral Proper Orthogonal Decomposition and LES simulation, flow instabilities in the wake region are analyzed in their different temporal and spatial scales. The objective of this study is to explore the viability of SPOD for separation control and correlating the decomposed flow modes to the aerodynamic performance of airfoil.
Biosynthesis of α-elostearic Acid in the Seed of Momordica Charantia L.
Authors: Jasieniecka-Gazarkiewicz Katarzyna , Klińska Sylwia , Banaś Antoni
Published: December 2020

Momordica charantia L. is a plant belonging to Cucurbitaceae family. Currently it is cultivated throughout the word mostly for the immature fruits. Its seeds oil contains a large amount of α-eleostearic acid (αESA) , an isoform of α-linolenic acid with conjugated double bound. Oils with conjugated fatty acids are valuable both for industrial and nutraceutical application. After cloning the fatty acid conjugases (FADX), several attempts have been made to modify oilseed crops towards production of such fatty acids. The obtained transgenic plants produced, however, a much lower amount of conjugated fatty acids than FADX original plants. It has been postulated that this could be connected with the problem in the transfer of such fatty acids from the place of its synthesis – phosphatidylcholine (PC) – to the place of their storage – triacylglycerol (TAG) in the transgenic plants. In this study we have characterised the biosynthesis of α-eleostearic acid both in vivo in developing seeds of M. charantia and in vitro in experiments with microsomal fractions prepared from developing seeds of this plant. We observed significant differences in transfer of αESA from the place of its biosynthesis to TAG in these two system. In vivo αESA was very efficiently transferred while in vitro synthesised αESA remained mostly in PC.
Evolution of Networks of Protein Domain Organization
Authors: Aziz M. Fayez , Caetano-Anollés Gustavo
Published: December 2020

Domains are the structural, functional and evolutionary units of proteins. They combine to form multidomain proteins. The evolutionary history of this molecular combinatorics has been studied with phylogenomic methods. Here, we construct networks of domain organization and explore their evolution. These networks revealed two ancient waves of structural novelty arising from ancient ‘p-loop’ and ‘winged helix’ domains and a massive ‘big bang’ of domain organization. The evolutionary recruitment of domains was highly modular, hierarchical and ongoing. Domain rearrangements elicited non-random and scale-free network structure. Comparative analyses of preferential attachment, randomness and modularity of networks showed yin-and-yang complementary transition patterns along the evolutionary timeline. Remarkably, evolving networks highlighted a central evolutionary role of cofactor-supporting structures of non-ribosomal peptide synthesis (NRPS) pathways, likely crucial to the early development of the genetic code. Some highly modular domains featured dual response regulation in two-component signal transduction systems with DNA-binding activity linked to transcriptional regulation of responses to environmental change. Interestingly, hub domains across the evolving networks shared the historical role of DNA binding and editing, an ancient protein function in molecular evolution. Our investigation unfolds historical source-sink patterns of evolutionary recruitment that further our understanding of protein architectures and functions.
Do Psychiatric Disorders Influence the Risk of Female Cancer? Results From a Genetic Study
Authors: Zhu Jingjing , Zhang Haoyu , Niu Zheng , Song Jing , Jiang Xia
Published: December 2020

Background: Depression and anxiety contribute to an increased global burden of disease and affect women more often than men. Despite evidence from experimental data showing a shared biological mechanism involved in both mental health disorders and female hormone-dependent cancers, results from epidemiological investigations remain inconsistent.Methods: We aim to understand a putative causal relationship between psychological distress and female malignancy by conducting a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. We used summary statistics from the hitherto largest genome-wide association studies (GWAS) performed in depression (Ncase=246,363), anxiety (Ncase=44,465), breast (Ncase=122,977) and ovarian (Ncase=25,509) cancer. We constructed strong instruments using the 102 depression-associated SNPs, the 6 anxiety-associated SNPs, and applied several MR approaches.Results: We found that genetic predisposition to depression significantly increased the risk of both overall breast cancer (OR [95%CI] = 1.10 [1.03-1.18]) and its estrogen receptor (ER)- subtype (1.12 [1.01-1.24]), while a borderline significance was observed for ER+ subtype (1.08 [0.99-1.18]). These findings were corroborated by our genetic correlation analysis where a significantly shared genetic basis was observed for depression and breast cancer. On the contrary, we did not identify any causal association of anxiety with breast cancer. None of the mental health traits were associated with the onset of ovarian cancer or its serous subtype. Sensitivity analyses using different sets of instruments revealed consistent results.Conclusions: Our findings suggest that poor mental health condition such as major depression disorder is likely to be causally associated with the development of breast cancer, providing evidence supporting for the potential deleterious consequence of mental illness on cancer onset.
Microbiology and Risk Factors of Surgical Site Infection in Limb Fractures
Authors: Luo Junchao , Chen Xinji , Tong Yu , Zhang Yin , Zhang Wei , Hong Zheping , Bi Qing , Qiong Zhang
Published: December 2020

Background: Limb fractures are becoming more common, and implant implants increase the risk of surgical site infection.The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors and microbiological characteristics for surgical site infection of limb fractures.Methods: We reviewed the data of 4,478 patients with limb fractures treated at Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital from January 2010 to January 2020, including demographic, fracture, and microbiological characteristics. Chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression were used to identify risk factors.Results: Staphylococcus aureus is a major threat to surgical site infection of limb fractures (26.46%). Open fractures are a risk factor for gram-negative infections. The following factors are considered as risk factors for surgical site infection: lower limb fractures, diabetes mellitus (OR 2.911 ; 95% CI 1.767-4.793), hypoproteinemia (OR 5.153 ; 95% CI 2.478-10.714), vascular injury(OR 8.531 ; 95% CI 4.028-18.070), nerve injury(OR 1.966 ; 95% CI 1.132-3.414) and open fractures (OR 9.561 ; 95% CI 6.565-13.925).Conclusions: Patients with these factors are at risk of surgical site infection after open reduction and internal fixation, and orthopedic surgeons should pay attention to these patients.
Value of 3D Preoperative Planning for Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty Based on Artificial Intelligence Technology
Authors: Huo Jiabang , Huang Guangxin , Han Dong , Wang Xinjie , Bu Yufan , Chen Ya , Cai DaoZhang , Zhao Chang
Published: December 2020

Background: Accurate preoperative planning is an important step for accurate reconstruction in total hip arthroplasty (THA). Presently, preoperative planning is completed using either a two-dimensional (2D) template or three-dimensional (3D) mimics software. With the development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, AI HIP, a planning software based on AI technology can quickly and automatically identify acetabular and femur morphology, and automatically match the optimal prosthesis size. However, the accuracy and feasibility of its clinical application still needs to be further verified. The purposes of this study were to investigate the accuracy and time efficiency of AI HIP in preoperative planning for primary THA, compared with 3D mimics software and 2D digital template; and further analyze the factors that influence the accuracy of AI HIP.Methods: A prospective study was conducted on 53 consecutive patients (59 hips) undergoing primary THA with cementless prostheses in our department. All preoperative planning was completed using AI HIP as well as 3D mimics and 2D digital template. The predicted component size and the actual implantation results were compared to determine the accuracy. The templating time was compared to determine the efficiency. Furthermore, the potential factors influencing the accuracy of AI HIP were analyzed including sex, body mass index (BMI), and hip dysplasia.Results: The accuracy in predicting the acetabular cup and femoral stem was 74.58% and 71.19%, respectively, for AI HIP; 71.19% (P = 0.743) and 76.27% (P = 0.468), respectively, for 3D mimics; 40.68% (P < 0.001) and 49.15% (P = 0.021), respectively, for 2D digital templating. The templating time using AI HIP was 3.91±0.64 min, which was equivalent to 2D digital templates (2.96±0.48 min, P < 0.001), but shorter than 3D mimics (32.07±2.41 min, P < 0.001). Acetabular dysplasia(P = 0.021), rather than sex and BMI, was an influential factor in the accuracy of AI HIP templating. Compared to patients with developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), the accuracy of acetabular cup in the non-DDH group was better (P = 0.021), but the difference in the accuracy of the femoral stem between the two groups was statistically insignificant (P = 0.062).Conclusion: AI HIP showed excellent reliability for component size in THA. Acetabular dysplasia may affect the accuracy of AI HIP templating.
Identifying Interacting Proteins of Arabidopsis Cyclophilin38 (AtCYP38), a Key Factor for PSII Assembly/Repair, via Multiple Screening Approaches
Authors: Hao Yaqi , Chu Jiashu , Shi Lujing , Ma Cong , Hui Liangliang , Cao Xiaofei , Wang Yuhua , Xu Min , Fu Ai-Gen
Published: December 2020

BackgroundAtCYP38, a thylakoid lumen localized immunophilin, is essential for photosystem II (PSII) assembly and maintenance, but how AtCYP38 functions in chloroplast remains unknown. Based on previous functional studies and its crystal structure, we hypothesize that AtCYP38 should function via binding its targets or cofactors in the thylakoid lumen to influence PSII performance. Therefore, identifying its target proteins and cofactors would be a key step to understand the working mechanism of AtCYP38.ResultsTo identify potential interacting proteins of AtCYP38, we first adopted two web-based tools, ATTED-II and STRING, and found 15 proteins functionally related to AtCYP38. We then screened a yeast two-hybrid library including an Arabidopsis genome wide cDNA with the N-terminal domain, the C-terminal domain, and the full-length mature protein of AtCYP38. 25 positive targets were identified, but a very limited number of target proteins were localized in the thylakoid lumen. In order to specifically search interacting proteins of AtCYP38 in the thylakoid lumen, we created a yeast two-hybrid mini library including the thylakoid lumenal proteins and lumen fractions of thylakoid membrane proteins. After screening the mini library with 3 different forms of AtCYP38, we obtained 6 thylakoid membrane proteins and 9 thylakoid lumenal proteins as interacting proteins of AtCYP38. We further confirmed the localization of several identified proteins and their interaction between AtCYP38.ConclusionsAfter analysis with two web-based tools and yeast two-hybrid screenings against two different libraries, we identified a couple of potential interacting proteins, which could be functionally related to AtCYP38. We believe that the results will lay a foundation for unveiling the working mechanism of AtCYP38 in photosynthesis.
Towards Health Equity for People Experiencing Chronic Pain and Social Marginalization
Authors: Wallace Bruce , Varcoe Colleen , Holmes Cindy , Moosa-Mitha Mehmoona , Moor Gregg , Hudspith Maria , Craig Kenneth D
Published: December 2020

Objective: For people who experience inequities and structural violence, pain and related care are inexorably linked to experiences of injustice and stigma.Methods: A community-based qualitative study included four focus groups with 36 people living with pain from groups known to experience high levels of inequities and structural violence including an Indigenous group, a LGBTQ2S group, and two newcomer and refugee groups. Results: Pain was entangled with and shaped by: social locations and identities, experiences of violence, trauma and related mental health issues, experiences of discrimination, stigma and dismissal, experiences of inadequate and ineffective health care, and the impacts of these intersecting experiences.Conclusions: Equity-oriented responses to chronic pain would establish pain not only as a biomedical issue but as a social justice issue. The EQUIP Framework is an approach to integrating trauma- and violence-informed care; culturally-safe care; and harm reduction in health care that may hold promise for being tailored to people experiencing pain and social marginalization.
Prognostic Significance of Alternative Splicing Genes in Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Endocervical Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Wang Xiaoyu , Tang Weichun , Lu Yilin , You Jun , Han Yun , yanli zheng
Published: December 2020

AS acts on many tumors and its relationship with CESC needs to be researched. TCGA provided Data. SpliceSeq analyzed Splicing profiles. UpSetR displayed the intersections among AS events. Univariate analysis chose survival-associated AS and SF genes. Functional analysis was operated on Enrichr. STRING evaluated PPI information. MCODE searched clustered sub-networks. LASSO and multivariate analysis constructed prognostic model. Risk analysis of tumor infiltrating immune cells was also conducted. 402 AS-generated genes were found to be associated with CESC prognosis. Functional analysis showed that Golgi to lysosome transport was enriched. PPI suggested that UBA52 was most functional. Dendritic cells activated, Dendritic cells resting, Macrophages M0, Mast cells resting, T cells CD4 memory activated and T cells CD8 were most correlative with riskscore. This study identified SNRPA and CELF2 as two CESC-engaged SFs.
Dumping-Like Symptoms After Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass: Case Report
Authors: Sneineh Midhat Abu , Dillemans Bruno
Published: December 2020

BackgroundInsulinomas are the most common neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas, they are rarely suspected as a cause of hyperinsulinemia in morbidly obese patients because these patients have hyperinsulinemia as a result of insulin resistance. One of the complications of LRYGB is dumping syndrome. The pathophysiology of this hypoglycemia after LRYGB is not well understood, and many theories have been proposed such as excessive GLP-1, nesidioblastosis, and increased glucose effectiveness.Case PresentationA 37-year-old female patient with a past history of LRYGB 6 years ago, diagnosed as having late dumping syndrome because of complaints of perspiration, palpitations, hunger, fatigue, aggression, and confusion not related to eating. After the failure of dietician counseling to treat her symptoms, biochemical tests were performed to investigate other possible causes of her symptoms such as hyperinsulinemia, Oral Glucose Tolerance Test demonstrated deep hypoglycemia after 90 min. MRI and endoscopic ultrasound were performed and demonstrated the presence of a well differentiated endocrine tumor of approximately 1.8 cm in diameter in the body of the pancreas. ConclusionBariatric surgeons should be aware of metabolic conditions including hypoglycemia, as a treatable cause of dumping-like symptoms.
Tuberculin Skin Test in Spondyloarthritis: Overestimated if Rheumatoid Arthritis Guidelines for Latent Tuberculosis Are Used?
Authors: İlgen Ufuk , Karadağ Ömer , Emmungil Hakan , Küçükşahin Orhan , Koca Süleyman Serdar , Erden Abdülsamet , Bes Cemal , Kanıtez Nilüfer Alpay , Dalkılıç Ediz , Akar Servet , Mercan Rıdvan , Çınar Muhammet , Kaşifoğlu Timuçin , Gönüllü Emel , Kimyon Gezmiş , Ersözlü Duygu , Atagündüz Pamir , Kılıç Levent , Ertenli İhsan , Yazısız Veli , Ateş Aşkın , Kiraz Sedat , Kalyoncu Umut
Published: December 2020

Background: Several societies published recommendations for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) screening before biological and targeted synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) but not for other inflammatory arthritides such as spondyloarthritis (SpA). Using RA guidelines could result in overestimating Tuberculin Skin Test (TST) positivity in SpA. This study aimed to compare the distribution of TST results in SpA and RA patients along with comparison in terms of QuantiFERON®-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) test in a Bacillus Calmette-Guérin-vaccinated population.Methods: Adult RA (n=206) and SpA (n=392) patients from the TReasure database who had both TST and QFT-GIT prior to initiation of biological and targeted synthetic DMARDs were included in the study. Demographic and disease characteristics along with pre-biologic DMARD and steroid use were recorded. The distribution of TST and performance with respect to QFT-GIT were compared between RA and SpA groups.Results: Pre-biologic conventional DMARD and steroid use was higher in the RA group. TST positivity rates were 44.2% in RA and 69.1% in SpA for a 5 mm cut-off (p<0.001). QFT-GIT positivity was slighlty higher in the SpA group (15% vs 8.9%, p=0.075). QFT-GIT positivity and disease category independently predicted a 5 mm or higher TST. The two tests poorly agreed in both groups at a TST cut-off of 5 mm (κ<0.1 for both groups). Increasing the TST cut-off only slightly increased the agreement between the two tests.Conclusions: TST positivity was more pronounced in SpA compared to that in RA and this was not explainable by pre-biologic DMARD and steroid use. The agreement of TST with QFT-GIT was poor in both groups. Using a 5 mm TST cut-off for both diseases could result in overestimating LTBI in SpA.
Oral Care for Intensive Care Unit Patients Without Mechanical Ventilation: Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Tang Xiaoxia , Shen Yunxia , Pan Xuejiao , Liao Jianglong , Xu Yanfei , Luo Wen , Zhang Xiaolin , Li Chun’e , Wan Qing , Cai Xin , Zhang Xiaomei , Wang Tao , Zhang Guilan
Published: December 2020

BackgroundInfection is a common problem and a major cause of morbidity and mortality for patients in intensive care units (ICUs). Oral care has been found to reduce the risk of nosocomial pneumonia according to published meta-analysis, and has been recommended to improve the oral environment for the patients in ICUs. However, relatively little information is available about the effects of oral care in patients without ventilatory support in ICUs. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of oral care in preventing pneumonia in non-ventilated ICUs patients.MethodsThe literature source will be gained from eight databases including four Chinese online databases and four English online databases from their inception to December 31, 2020. Records obtained will be managed and screened via Endnote X7，a widely used reference management software. The duplicate literature will be removed. All literature will be selected in accordance with pre-established inclusion criteria by two independent review authors to obtain quality trials. The quality of the included records will be evaluated according to “Risk of table”, recommended by Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. All the data will be extracted by one author and checked by another. If there is any disagreement, a final agreement will be reached with a third reviewer via consulting. The data obtained will be managed via Microsoft Excel. If there is missing data, the original authors will be emailed to ask for it. If enough data was collected, the data synthesis will be performed using Review Manager (RevMan5.3). Otherwise, only the qualitative analysis will be carried out. The overall effect will be estimated on oral care for intensive care unit patients without mechanical ventilation to prevent nosocomial pneumonia using random effect model or fixed effect model base on the heterogeneity results. The sources of heterogeneity will be performed using Meta-regression and subgroup analysis if there is significant heterogeneity. The funnel plot will be used to assess the publish bias, if there are enough records included. The Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions will be followed throughout the system evaluation process.ConclusionThis study will provide evidence of oral care for intensive care unit patients without mechanical ventilation to prevent nosocomial pneumonia.PROSPERO Research registration identifying numberCRD42020146932
Performance of Statistical and Machine Learning-Based Methods for Predicting Biogeographical Patterns of Fungal Productivity in Forest Ecosystems
Authors: Morera Albert , de Aragón Juan Martínez , Bonet José Antonio , Liang Jingjing , de-Miguel Sergio
Published: December 2020

BackgroundThe prediction of biogeographical patterns from a large number of driving factors with complex interactions, correlations and non-linear dependences require advanced analytical methods and modelling tools. This study compares different statistical and machine learning models for predicting fungal productivity biogeographical patterns as a case study for the thorough assessment of the performance of alternative modelling approaches to provide accurate and ecologically-consistent predictions.MethodsWe evaluated and compared the performance of two statistical modelling techniques, namely, generalized linear mixed models and geographically weighted regression, and four machine learning models, namely, random forest, extreme gradient boosting, support vector machine and deep learning to predict fungal productivity. We used a systematic methodology based on substitution, random, spatial and climatic blocking combined with principal component analysis, together with an evaluation of the ecological consistency of spatially-explicit model predictions.ResultsFungal productivity predictions were sensitive to the modelling approach and complexity. Moreover, the importance assigned to different predictors varied between machine learning modelling approaches. Decision tree-based models increased prediction accuracy by ~7% compared to other machine learning approaches and by more than 25% compared to statistical ones, and resulted in higher ecological consistence at the landscape level.ConclusionsWhereas a large number of predictors are often used in machine learning algorithms, in this study we show that proper variable selection is crucial to create robust models for extrapolation in biophysically differentiated areas. When dealing with spatial-temporal data in the analysis of biogeographical patterns, climatic blocking is postulated as a highly informative technique to be used in cross-validation to assess the prediction error over larger scales. Random forest was the best approach for prediction both in sampling-like environments as well as in extrapolation beyond the spatial and climatic range of the modelling data.
Essential Information for Transition of Care for Frail Elderly Patients in Japan: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Matsumura Shinji , Ozaki Makiko , Kanno Tetsuya , Iioka Tomomi , Bito Seiji
Published: December 2020

Background: Information exchange between hospitals and primary care physicians is suboptimal. Most physicians are dissatisfied with the current referral process, and poor communication leads to negative care transition outcomes.Methods: To identify the key information needed in referral letters for successful transition of care. We conducted a qualitative study using consecutive, semi-structured in-person interviews and focus group sessions. We recruited 5 participants for individual interviews and 16 participants for focus groups. All participants were engaged in clinical work. We analyzed all data using qualitative thematic analysis. Interview transcripts were analyzed inductively and reflectively. All results were returned to the participants and modified based on their feedback. Results: The five individual interviews provided a general picture of the current referral process and a useful interview guide for the following focus group sessions. The focus group discussions were used to identify the essential care transition information needed at admission and discharge from the hospital. Essential information on hospital admission were: 1) Basic medical and care information, 2) Care resources available at home, 3) The purpose of admission and the goals of care during hospitalization, and 4) Status of advance care planning (ACP) and patient’s will in an emergency. Essential information on hospital discharge were: 1) Clinical course, 2) Explanation of medical condition during hospitalization, 3) Status of ACP and patient’s will in an emergency, and 4) Medical procedures to be continued at home. Conclusion: We identified the essential information needed for successful transition of care in Japan, particularly on admission to and discharge from acute hospitals. The clinical effectiveness of a template that contains the information identified in our study warrants investigation.
Criminal Convictions in Norwegian Female and Male Adult ADHD Outpatients: Prevalence and Associations With ADHD Symptom Severity and Emotional Dysregulation
Authors: ANKER Espen , Ginsberg Ylva , Heir Trond
Published: December 2020

ObjectivesAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often co-occurs with antisocial behaviour. Several studies have shown high rates of ADHD among prisoners. However, the prevalence of crime among individuals with ADHD is less known. The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of lifetime criminal conviction (CC) in a clinical sample of adults with ADHD, and the associations with severity of ADHD and emotional dysregulation (ED). MethodsPatients were admitted to a private psychiatric outpatient clinic in Oslo between 2014 and 2018. Out of 656 patients diagnosed with ADHD, 629 (95.9%) agreed to participate in the study. CC was determined based on self-reporting of the lifetime history of criminal behaviour. ADHD was diagnosed according to DSM-5 criteria, and the ADHD severity was measured using the Adult ADHD Self Report Scale (ASRS). ED was assessed by the eight-item version of Barkley’s Current Behaviour Scale - Self Report (CBS-SR). ResultsThe prevalence of self-reported CC in this clinical sample was 11.7% among women and 24.5% among men. CC was associated with hyperactive-impulsive severity (p<0.001) and ED (p=0.006).ConclusionsThe prevalence of self-reported lifetime criminal conviction was high for both genders. CC was associated with symptom severity of hyperactivity-impulsivity and emotional dysregulation.
Comparison of Unipedicular and Bipedicular Percutaneous Kyphoplasty for Kummell's Disease
Authors: Pan Dan , Ouyang Xiaojie , Huang Qinghua , Chen Dayong
Published: December 2020

Background: Percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) is effective for the treatment of Kummell's disease. However, controversy remains regarding whether a unipedicular or bipedicular PKP is superior.Methods: A retrospective study was performed to review 40 patients with stage I and II Kummell's disease who underwent PKP in our hospital from January 2015 to June 2018. Based on the transpedicular approach of PKP, those patients were randomly divided into unipedicular group (n = 19) and bipedicular group (n = 21) . Operative time, bone cement injection volume and cement leakage rate were compared in the two groups. Pre- and post-operative visual analogue score (VAS), local kyphotic angle and average vertebral height were also evaluated.Results: All patients underwent surgery successfully. Compared with preoperative condition, VAS was significantly decreased at 1 day after operation and the last follow-up in both groups (P < 0.05) , and local kyphotic angle and average vertebral height were restored markedly (P < 0.05). Operative time of both groups had no significant difference (P > 0.05). Bone cement injection volume was larger in bipedicular group (P < 0.05). At 1 day after operation and the last follow-up , the local kyphotic angle and average vertebral height in bipedicular group were restored better than those in unipedicular group (P < 0.05). There were 4 cases of cement leakage in both groups, with leakage rates of 21.1% and 19.0%, respectively, and the difference was not significant (P > 0.05).Conclusion: Both unipedicular and bipedicular PKP are effective for treating patients with stage I and II Kummell's disease, while postoperative pain relief and imaging results in bipedicular group were better than those in unipedicular group.
A High Throughput Method to Analyze the Interaction Proteins With p22 Protein of African Swine Fever Virus in Vitro
Authors: Zhu Xuejiao , Fan Baochao , Zhou Junming , Wang Dandan , Fan Huiying , Li Bin
Published: December 2020

Background: African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) has been identified as the agent of ASF, which has resulting in a mortality rate of nearly 100% in domestic pigs worldwide. Protein p22 encoded by pKP177L was reported to be localized at the inner envelope of the virus, while the function of p22 remains unclear.Methods: Protein p22 interacted proteins of the host were immune-precipitated and identified by Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry, analyzed by Go terms and KEGG pathways. Results: Numerous cellular proteins in 293-T that interacted with p22 protein were identified. These interacted proteins were related to the biological processes of binding, cell structure, signal transduction, cell adhesion, etc., and their interactions. At the same time, the interacted proteins participated in several KEGG pathways like ribosome, splicesome, etc. The key proteins in PPI network were closely related to actin filament organization and movement, resulting in affecting the process of phagocytosis and endocytosis. Conclusions: The identified high number of proteins interacted with p22 and as a large database should be very useful to elucidate the function of p22 in the near future, and lay the foundation for elucidating the mechanism of ASFV.
CPT1B, a Metabolic Molecule, Is Also an Independent Risk Factor in CN-AML
Authors: Ling Qing , Mao Shihui , Pan Jiajia , Wei Wenwen , Qian Yu , Li Fenglin , Huang Shujuan , Ye Wenle , Lin Xiangjie , Huang Jiansong , Wang Jinghan , Jin Jie
Published: December 2020

Background: In recent years, fatty acid oxidation has been considered as an important energy source for tumorigenesis and development. There are extensive studies on CPT1A, a kind of fatty acid oxidation rate-limiting enzyme. However, prognostic value and regulatory network of another subtype CPT1B in AML remains elusive. This submission aims to clarify the independent prognostic role of the metabolic molecule CPT1B in CN-AML from cilinical data and molecule levels including mRNA, miRNA and lncRNA. Method: First, we analysed the CPT1B expression in AML conhort via online database “GEPIA”. Following the assessments on differential mRNA, miRNA, lncRNA expression analysis on the paired CPT1B high and low expression groups, there were abnormal changes at different molecular levels. Moreover, we determine the preliminary predictions on the regulatory network of CPT1B in AML by constructing miRNA-mRNA and ceRNA networks. The study had yielded a series of molecules that potentially proved the prognostic prediction and metabolic function of CPT1B from the side. Finally, we analysed the CPT1B expression in our own conhort to make a verification. Result: Notably, there was a significantly high expression of CPT1B in AML patients than normal people and was associated with the poor outcome. Molecules from different levels verified our finding and revealed the possible regulatory mechanism of CPT1B in AML. Conclusion: CPT1B is a potential prognostic factor as well as a therapeutic target of AML.
Mediation Analysis of the Role of Air Pollution on the Relationship between Road Network Density and Cognitive Function: Results from a Cross-Sectional Study among Adults Age 60 and Older in Liaoning, China
Authors: Bai Xue , Wei Jiaxin , Luan Dechun , Liu Mengting , Gong Yonghui , Gao Qian
Published: December 2020

Background: Research on the relationship between road network density and cognitive function is lacking, and air pollution is related to both issues.Objective: We examined the mediating role of air pollution in relationship to road network density and cognitive function of older adults in Liaoning, China.Methods: This analysis included 745 adults age 60 and older. We obtained road network density for total roads, main roads, secondary roads, and other roads by OpenStreetMap and QGIS. We used air quality index (AQI) for the whole year, heating period, and nonheating period to assess individual air pollution exposure levels in different periods. We measured cognitive function using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). We used mediation analysis to evaluate the role of air pollution in the relationship between road network density and cognitive function.Results: The relationship between total road network density and global cognitive function was positive (β>0, p<0.01), and air pollution had a suppressing effect. The main road network density and cognitive function were negatively correlated, and the mediating effect of air pollution for all three periods accounted for 81.69%–90.09% of the total effects. The other road network density and cognitive function were positively correlated, and the suppressing effect of air pollution for all three periods accounted for 10.06%–18.50% of the total effects. The secondary road network density and cognitive function were positively correlated, and the suppressing effect of air pollution in the whole year and heating period accounted for 21.06% and 26.10% of the total effects, respectively. During nonheating period, the suppressing effect of air pollution was not statistically significant [β = −0.018; standard error (SE) = 0.014; 95% confidence interval (CI): −0.046, 0.007].Conclusion: Because the different categories of road network density have different relationships with cognitive function, air pollution had different effects on these relationships.
Identifying Genetic Variants Associated With Noise-induced Hearing Loss Based on a Novel Strategy for Evaluating Individual Susceptibility
Authors: Jiang Zhuang , Fa Botao , Zhang Xunmiao , Feng Yanmei , Wang Jiping , Shi Haibo , Sun Daoyuan , Wang Hui , Yin Shankai
Published: December 2020

Background: The overall genetic profile for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) remains to be explored. Here we used a novel machine learning (ML) strategy to evaluate individual susceptibility to NIHL and identify the underlying genetic variants based on a subsample of participants with extreme phenotype. Methods: Demographic and audiometric data of 5,539 shipbuilding workers from large cross-sectional surveys were included in four ML algorithms to predict the hearing level. The area under the curve (AUC) and prediction accuracy were used to assess the performance of the classification models. We screened 300 participants that were misclassified by all of the four ML models, with extreme phenotypes implying they were either highly susceptible or resistant to NIHL and used whole-exome sequencing (WES) to identify the underlying variants associated with NIHL risk among the NIHL-susceptible and NIHL-resistant individuals. Subsequently, candidate risk loci were validated in a large independent noise-exposed cohort, followed by a meta-analysis.Results: With 10-fold cross-validation, the performances of the four ML models were robust and similar, with average AUC and accuracy ranging from 0.783 to 0.798 and 73.7% to 73.8%, respectively. The phenotypes of the NIHL-susceptible group and NIHL-resistant group were significantly different (all p<0.001). After WES analysis and filtering, 12 novel variants contributing to NIHL susceptibility were identified and replicated. The meta-analyses shown that the rs41281334 A allele of CDH23 (OR=1.506, 95% CI=1.106-2.051) and the rs12339210 C allele of WHRN (OR=3.06, 95% CI=1.398-6.700) were significantly associated with increased risk of NIHL after adjustment for conventional risk factors.Conclusions: This study determined two novel genetic variants in CDH23 rs41281334 and WHRN rs12339210 associated with NIHL risk, based on a potential approach for evaluating individual susceptibility using ML models. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (registration number: ChiCTR-RPC-17012580)
Changing Trends in Lipid Profile and Biomarkers of Renal Function and Bone Metabolism Before and After Switching From Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate to Tenofovir Alafenamide: a Prospective Observational Study
Authors: Ikeda Mahoko , Wakabayashi Yoshitaka , Okamoto Koh , Yanagimoto Shintaro , Okugawa Shu , Moriya Kyoji
Published: December 2020

BackgroundAntiretrovirals, including tenofovir, can suppress human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection but cannot completely eradicate it. Patients with HIV infection are administered antiretroviral drugs over a long term; thus, managing consequent adverse drug reactions, such as renal dysfunction and bone mineral loss, is important. Currently, highly sensitive biomarkers that can detect adverse drug reactions early have not been well studied. MethodsThis single-center, prospective, observational study explored changes in the biomarkers of renal function, bone metabolism, and lipid profile before and after switching from tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) to tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) in patients with HIV infection. ResultsAll 31 enrolled patients had been treated with antiretrovirals for more than 5 years. The urinary liver-type fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP)/creatinine ratio was significantly decreased at 3 and 6 months after switching to TAF compared with that before switching to TAF (-0.5μg/g･Cr at 3 months, and -0.8μg/g･Cr at 6 months; p <005 for both at 3 and 6 months) . The urinary N-terminal telopeptide (NTx)/creatinine ratio decreased over the study period, and the ratios were significantly different between 3 months and 6 months (-11 nmol/mmol Cr at 3 months, -15.2 nmol/mmol Cr at 6 months; p =0.0069 at 3 months, p<.0001 at 6 months) . Low density lipoprotein-cholesterol level significantly increased at 3 (+26 mg/dL) and 6 months (+13 mg/dL) compared with that at the baseline (p < 0.0001).ConclusionsSwitching from TDF to TAF decreased the levels of renal and bone biomarkers, such as urinary L-FABP and NTx, but increased low density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels. Highly sensitive markers, such as urinary L-FABP and NTx, might be useful tools to predict adverse drug reaction early.
Modest Evolutionary Changes of the SARS-CoV-2 Genome in Bangladesh
Authors: Rahman Sezanur , Hasan Mehedi , Hossain Mohammad Enayet , Rahman Mohammed Ziaur , Rahman Mustafizur
Published: December 2020

Background: The human-to-human transmissive nature of SARS-CoV-2 makes Bangladesh, as well as the other South Asian regions, vulnerable to the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19 due to their high population densities. The present study was designed based on the genome wide analysis of Bangladeshi and other South Asian isolates. Complete sequences of SARS-CoV-2 were retrieved from the EpiCoV database in order to identify molecular features demonstrating the evolutionary trail and mutation rate.Result: The complete genome mutation rate of the Bangladeshi isolates was estimated to be 0.49E-3 nucleotide substitutions/site/year. A higher mutation rate was found in the non-structural protein-coding genes at: ORF6 (10.29E-3), ORF7a (31.81E-3), and ORF8 (18.35E-3). In contrast, the mutation rates of the structural protein-coding genes were relatively low at: M (1.14E-3), S (1.47E-3), E (3.35E-3), and N (4.59E-3).Conclusions: A comparison of Bangladeshi and other South Asian isolates demonstrated that there were limited mutational changes in the SARS CoV-2 genome. Knowledge of the Southeast Asian SARS CoV-2 evolutionary genome will help in selecting future vaccine candidates and designing therapeutic drug targets.
MiR-191-5p Is Upregulated in Culture Media of Implanted Human Embryo on Day Three of Development
Authors: Acuña-González Ricardo Josue , Morales-Hernández Fela Vanesa , López-Canales Jorge Skiold , Lozano-Cuenca Jair , Osorio-Caballero Mauricio , Flores-Herrera Héctor
Published: December 2020

Background: Morphologic features are the most common criteria for selecting human embryo to be transferred to the receptive uterine cavity. However, such characteristics are not valid for embryos in cellular arrest. The aim of this study was to quantify the expression profile of hsa-miR-21-3p, -24-1-5p, -191-5p, and -372-5p on day 3 of culture media from in vitro fertilization (IVF) embryo that were implanted or failed to be implanted in patients (n=25 pregnant and 25, non-pregnant patients). Methods: Fifty patients were accepted in the Department of Reproductive Biology of a Hospital in México City, based on the Institutional inclusion criteria for in vitro fertilization. On day 3 of development, embryos were transferred to women, and the culture medium was collected from implanted embryos (n=25, pregnant patients) and non-implanted embryos (n=25, non-pregnant). In the culture medium, RNA was isolated using TRIzol reagent. MiRNA expression was detected through RT-PCR with specific primers. Expression bands were quantified using an optic density.Results: The expression profiles were compared between pregnant and non-pregnant patients revealing a significant 5.2-fold greater expression of hsa-miR-191-5p in the former group (p ≤0.001) and a significantly higher expression of hsa-miR-24-1-5p (p =0.043) in the latter. No significant difference was found between the two groups in regard hsa-miR-21-3p or hsa-miR-372-5p (p =0.41). Conclusions: According to the results, has-miR-191-5p could possibly be a possible biomarker of adequate human embryo development. This miRNA modulated IGF2BP-1 and IGF2R, which are associated with the implantation window. On the other hand, hsa-miR-24-1-5p may be related to a poor prognosis of human embryo development.
Factors Associated with Alcohol Consumption Among Youth Men, Ethiopian 2016 Demographic Health Survey.
Authors: Tegegne Kindie Mekuria , Abate Biruk Beletew , Kassaw Mesfine Wudu , G/mariam Etsay Hailu , Yimam Mohammed Ahmed
Published: December 2020

Background: Alcohol consumption is a global issue, both developed and underdeveloped countries' health trouble. Specifically in Ethiopia, youth men 15-24 years of age are engaged in psychoactive substances mainly alcohols. Alcoholic person has other concomitant mental illness the discord of school, unemployment and being low socio-economic status.Methods: A cross-sectional study using the 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) data set was applied. The samples were selected using a two-stage stratified cluster sampling technique. The data were analyzed with SPSS version 20. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with alcohol consumption by controlling confounders. An adjusted odds ratio with a 95 % confidence interval was considered to declare a statistically significant association.Results: The present study comprised of 4486 weight samples of youth men. The prevalence of alcohol consumption among youth men in this study was 39.3 %. Men aged 15-19 (AOR=1.27 (95% CI =1.01-1.60), being unemployed (AOR=1.62 (95% CI=1.27-2.07), don’t have awareness about HIV/AIDS (AOR=4.70 (95%=2.44-9.01),being married (AOD 0.58(0.39-0.85) and poorer youth men (AOD =1.75(95%CI=1.21-2.54) ,being orthodox (AOR=5.12(95%CI =2.47-10.64), protestant (AOR=0.42(95% CI =0.20- 0.87)Muslim (AOR=0.07(95% CI=0.03-0.16) religious followers were significantly associated with alcohol consumption.Conclusion: Alcohol consumption among youth men was relatively high when we compared with other countries study. Strengthening the awareness of HIV/AIDS, change alcohol drinking experience on religious ceremonies especially in orthodox, organizes the youth and job creation is suggested to avert alcohol consumption trajectory.
Gender Differences in Mental Health Outcomes Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic and a Collapsing Economy: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Hajj Aline , Badro Danielle A , Selwan Carla Abou , Sacre Hala , Aoun Randa , Salameh Pascale
Published: December 2020

Background: Emergency plans to contain the COVID-19 failed to take into consideration the repercussions of the combined economic and sanitary crisis among the most vulnerable populations who might be disproportionately affected, including women and abused people. This study primarily aimed to assess the effects of the COVID-19 and economy-related variables on Lebanese adults’ mental health, focusing on gender differences.Methods: An online-based cross-sectional study was conducted between May 10-20, 2020, using validated scales. All adults living in Lebanon, with access to the internet, were eligible, regardless of their age, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, nationality, sex, gender identity, religion, geography, ability, and culture (n=502).Results: The multivariate analysis, adjusted on sociodemographic characteristics, economic, and coronavirus-related variables, showed that women exhibit higher levels of stress, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) than men. Moreover, violence at home was associated with more stress and insomnia, with borderline results for anxiety and well-being. No significant difference was found for PTSS. Conclusion: In the context of combined health and economic crises, mental health outcomes are not equally felt by women. Additional studies in a few months would help better understand the long-term impact, especially on PTSS and QOL, which might not be perceptible during the crisis. Focused public health strategies are warranted to support and protect the most vulnerable populations.
Cross-Regional Research in Demographic Impact on Safety Consciousness and Safety Citizenship Behavior of Construction Workers: A Comparative Study between Mainland China and Hong Kong
Authors: MENG Xiangcheng , CHAN Alan H.S.
Published: December 2020

Background: The construction industry has rapidly developed with the continuous prosperity in Hong Kong and Mainland China, though accidents still occur with unacceptable frequency and severity. For promoting the safety issue of workers in construction industry, safety citizenship behavior (SCB) and safety consciousness (SC) were considered two influential constructs and further studied with integration of sociodemographic theories by scholars. However, no study has compared the SC and SCB of construction workers in terms of the demographic influence between Mainland China and Hong Kong. Methods: To fill this research gap, this study investigated the territorial difference between these two regions by conducting a cross-sectional questionnaire survey with recruitment of 253 Mainland construction workers and 256 Hong Kong construction workers. Results: Significant similarities and differences of SC and SCB performance were revealed in terms of the workers with different genders, education levels, weekly working hours, and ages. Conclusions: This study provides insights into the comparison of demographic influence on SC and SCB of construction workers between Hong Kong and Mainland China, which is unique as it can yield useful managerial knowledge relevant to the personal safety of targeted groups of construction workers with particular demographic characteristic in both regions and contribute the implementation of safety interventions in line with the specific distinction in territorial aspect.