bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diversity scaling of human digestive tract (DT) microbiomes: the intra-DT and inter-individual patterns
Authors: Chen Hongju , Yi Bin , Xu Xia , Liu Qiang , Dai Lin , Ma ZS (Sam)
Published: July 2020

The human gut microbiome has been extensively studied, but its diversity scaling (changes) along the DT ( digestive tract ) as well as their inter-individual heterogeneities have not been adequately addressed in our opinion. Here we fill the gap by applying the diversity-area relationship (DAR), a recent extension to the classic species-area relationship (SAR) in biogeography, by reanalyzing the dataset of over 2000 16s-rRNA microbiome samples obtained from 10 DT sites of over 200 individuals. We sketched out the biogeography “maps” for each of the 10 DT sites by cross-individual DAR analysis, and the intra-DT distribution pattern by cross-DT site DAR analysis. Regarding the inter-individual biogeography, it was found that all DT sites have the invariant scaling parameter —all sites possessing the same diversity change rate across individuals, but most sites have different potential diversities. In terms of the genus richness, an average individual hosts approximately 20% of the population-level genus richness (total bacterial genus of a human population). In contrast, in terms of community biodiversity, the percentages of individual vs . population may exceed 90%. This suggests that the differences between individuals in their DT microbiomes are predominantly in the composition of bacterial species, rather than how their abundances are distributed ( i.e ., biodiversity). Regarding the intra-DT patterns, the scaling parameter is larger—suggesting that the intra-DT biodiversity changes are more dramatic than inter-individual changes. On average, each site contains 21%-36% of genus diversity of the whole DT, and the percentages are even higher at the higher taxon levels.
Genome-Wide Comparative Analysis of the β-glucosidase Family in Five Rosaceae Species and their Potential Role on Lignification of Stone Cells in Chinese White Pear
Authors: Wang Han , Zhang Yang , Zhao Yu , Han Wenlong , Lu Jinjin , Cheng Xi , Li Guohui , Jin Qing , Cai Yongping
Published: July 2020

Background: The β-glucosidase BGLU in the glycoside hydrolase family 1 (GH1) is involved in the sugar metabolism of the plant and plays an important role in maintaining the normal physiological function of the plant. Recent studies had shown that β-glucosidase was involved in plant lignification. The lignification in pear fruit is closely related to the formation of pear stone cells, but the BGLU genes family has not been identified in pears.Result: A total of 343 BGLU genes were identified from five species of Rosaceae (Pyrus bretschneideri, Prunus mume, Malus domestica, Prunus avium, Fragaria vesca). According to phylogenetic analysis, 50 PbBGLUs were divided into 8 groups. 298 syntenic pairs were found in intra- and inter-species collinear analysis of five Rosaceae species, found that pears and apples had more syntenic pairs than pear and the other three Rosaceae species. The Ka/Ks analysis of duplication PbBGLU genes in pear indicated that the main mode of expansion of the PbBGLUs was segmental replication and was mainly affected by purification. qRT-PCR showed that the three gene expression patterns of PbBGLU1, PbBGLU15 and PbBGLU16 were basically consistent with the change trend of pear fruit lignin and stone cell content, and may be involved in lignification and stone cell development of pear fruit. Subcellular localization showed that these three candidate genes were all located on the cell wall.Conclusion: In this study, a genome-wide analysis of BGLU genes in five Rosaceae species was carried out, and three candidate genes related to lignification and stone cell development of pear fruits were identified, which laid the foundation for a deeper understanding of the function of BGLU genes in pear fruits and potential in changing pear fruit quality.
Antioxidant-rich diet, GSTP1 rs1871042 polymorphism, and gastric cancer risk in a hospital-based case-control study
Authors: Kim Jimi , Kim Hyejin , Lee Jeonghee , Choi Il Ju , Kim Young-Il , Kim Jeongseon
Published: July 2020

Background

Chronic gastritis along with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection has been implicated in inflammatory response-related genes linked to the causation of gastric cancer (GC). Glutathione S-transferase Pi (GSTP1) plays a role in regulating oxidative stress and detoxification against carcinogenesis. In this study, we aimed to determine whether an antioxidant-rich diet was associated with GC risk and to identify how the association could be altered by GSTP1 genetic variants.
Methods

The study was conducted with 1,245 participants (415 cases and 830 controls) matched for age and sex. Dietary antioxidant capacity was estimated based on oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) incorporated with a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of GSTP1 (rs1695, rs749174, rs1871042, rs4891, and rs947895) were selected among the exome array genotype data.
Results

High dietary ORAC showed inverse associations with GC (hydrophilic ORAC OR T3 vs. T1, 95% CI = 0.57, 0.39–0.82, P = 0.004; lipophilic ORAC = 0.66, 0.45–0.95, P = 0.021; total phenolics = 0.57, 0.39–0.83, P = 0.005). The polymorphism of rs1871042 increased GC risk (OR, 95% CI = 1.55, 1.10–2.16, P = 0.01, CT + TT vs. CC). A remarkably reduced risk of GC was observed among those who had a high dietary ORAC according to rs1871042 polymorphism (hydrophilic ORAC OR T3 vs. T1, 95% CI = 0.36, 0.17–0.78, P for trend = 0.013; lipophilic ORAC = 0.58, 0.37–0.93, P for trend = 0.021; total phenolics = 0.38, 0.17–0.83, P for trend = 0.019).
Conclusions

Our findings indicate that the association between dietary ORAC intake and GSTP1 polymorphisms as they pertain to the risk of GC may present new intervention strategies for GC patients.
The Potent and Selective AMPK Inhibitor BAY-3827 Shows Strong Efficacy in Androgen-Dependent Prostate Cancer Models
Authors: Lemos Clara , Schulze Volker K , Baumgart Simon J , Nevedomskaya Ekaterina , Heinrich Tobias , Lefranc Julien , Bader Benjamin , Christ Clara D , Briem Hans , Kuhnke Lara P , Holton Simon J , Bömer Ulf , Lienau Philip , Nussbaum Franz von , Nising Carl F , Bauser Marcus , Hägebarth Andrea , Mumberg Dominik , Haendler Bernard
Published: July 2020

Background: 5´ adenosine monophosphate-activated kinase (AMPK) is an essential regulator of cellular energy homeostasis which has been associated with different pathologies, including cancer. Precisely defining the role of AMPK in these processes necessitates the availability of a potent and selective inhibitor.Methods: High-throughput screening and subsequent chemical optimization led to the identification of the selective inhibitor BAY-3827. Cell proliferation and mechanistic assays, as well as gene expression analysis and chromatin immunoprecipitation were used to investigate the cellular impact of BAY-3827 and the crosstalk between lipid metabolism and androgen signaling in prostate cancer models. Also, fatty acid turnover was determined by examining lipid droplet formation.Results: BAY-3827 prevented phosphorylation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 and showed strongest anti-proliferative activity in androgen-dependent prostate cancer cell lines. Analysis of genes involved in AMPK signaling revealed that the expression of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR), fatty acid synthase (FASN) and 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 2 (PFKFB2), all of which are involved in lipid metabolism, was strongly upregulated by androgen in responsive prostate cancer cell lines. Chromatin immunoprecipitation DNA-sequencing (ChIP-seq) analysis identified androgen receptor (AR) binding peaks in these genes. BAY-3827 strongly down-regulated the expression of lipase E (LIPE), cAMP-dependent protein kinase type II-beta regulatory subunit (PRKAR2B) and serine-threonine kinase AKT3 in the responsive prostate cancer cell lines. Also, the expression of members of the carnitine palmitoyl-transferase 1 (CPT1) family was inhibited by BAY-3827, and this was paralleled by impaired lipid flux.Conclusions: The availability of the potent and selective inhibitor BAY-3827 will contribute to a better understanding of the biological role of AMPK signaling in cancer, especially in prostate adenocarcinoma.
Incorporating Stigma Into Implementation Science: Linking Societal Influence to the Clinical Encounter to Understand Inequities in Healthcare Delivery
Authors: Saine M. Elle , Re III Vincent Lo , Barg Frances K. , Szymczak Julia E.
Published: July 2020

The authors have withdrawn this preprint due to erroneous posting.
Monocyte to high-density lipoprotein ratio was associated with the severity of coronary artery disease: results from a large cohort study
Authors: Wu Haoyu , Wang Lijun , Huo Jianhua , Qiang Hua , Wang Chen , Yuan Zuyi , Gao Shanshan
Published: July 2020

Background: Monocyte to high-density lipoprotein ratio (MHR) was a recently emerged lipid biomarker, might reflect the inflammation level and the lipid profile in a quantitative manner.We aimed to investigate the association of MHR with the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD), and the ability of MHR in predicting severe CAD and acute atherothrombosis events. Methods: A total of 3930 CAD patients and 1020 non-CAD patients presented consecutively to our hospital for coronary angiography. The CAD patients were classified into four groups according to the quartile of the MHR (≤0.28, N=1218; 0.28-0.39, N=1262; 0.39-0.53, N=1209; >0.53, N=1261). CAD severity was quantified according to the Gensini score. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was also performed to predict severe CAD and acute coronary thrombotic events. Results: MHR was significantly higher in the CAD group than in the non-CAD group (0.45 ± 0.22 vs. 0.35 ± 0.17, p<0.001) and had a significant positive correlation with Gensini score. Compared with lower MHR value, a MHR in the fourth quartile was strongly associated with severe CAD and acute coronary thrombotic event after adjusting for baseline factors. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that combination of MHR and traditional risk predictors could better predict severe CAD especially acute coronary thrombosis events such as non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (ASTEMI). Conclusions: MHR was positive associated with the prevalence and severity of CAD. Moreover, MHR may be a prognostic marker for acute atherothrombosis events.
Multicenter evaluation of EIAs and CLIAs in the detection of hepatitis C virus antibody among blood donors in China
Authors: Chang Le , Ji Huimin , Guo Fei , Jiang Xinyi , Wang Lunan
Published: July 2020

Background

Recent data on the evaluation of screening serological assays on anti-HCV among a large sample of blood donors is lacking. The present study aimed to perform a multicenter evaluation of EIAs and CLIAs for detection of anti-HCV among blood donors in 16 different Chinese blood centers/banks.
Methods

A total of 1,309 samples containing 582 anti-HCV screening negatives and 727 positives collected from 15 blood centers/banks all over China. A total of 10 different anti-HCV assays (8 EIAs and 2 CLIAs) were evaluated in 16 different blood centers/banks. Confirmatory testing was performed using RIBA and HCV RNA tests.
Results

There were 963 true negatives, 261 positives, and 85 indeterminate samples. False positive rate of screening testing was 52.54% (382/727). Roche and InTec had the highest sensitivity (98.47%) and KHB and Wantai (indirect EIA) had the highest specificity (99.23%). Ortho/Abbott together with InTec could detect all the true positives. RIBA indeterminate samples showed quite different S/CO ratios detected by Roche compared with RIBA positives (4.84 vs 19.36, P < 0.0001), and higher S/CO ratios than RIBA negatives (4.84 vs 2.94, P = 0.020). However, there was no difference among the three groups when detected by Abbott. Also, the antigen distribution and band intensity were different between indeterminate and RIBA positive. When S/CO ratio went to 8.2 on Roche and 4.2 on Abbott, the PPV could achieve more than 95%.
Conclusion

False reactive problem of anti-HCV screening should be solved urgently. RIBA indeterminate donations may be a special group, should be further studied.
Investigating the Impact of Virtual Reality and Gamification on Improving Physical Activities in School
Authors: Roshanpour Reza , Nikroo Mohammad Hazegh
Published: July 2020

Background: The rise of obesity creates a critical health problem in childhood which can establish obesity in adulthood. It is significant in the first years of life to participate in physical activity program. In other words, children have to perform physical activity for preventing obesity and toward reducing obesity in adulthood. In this regard, it seems to be important in elementary schools. In this regard, interventions were used to perform physical activity. We have utilized virtual reality and gamification as an intervention to increase motivation for exerting physical activity in elementary school. In reality, three critical areas have been identified to enhance quality physical education program include Promoting intrinsic motivation, enhancing perceived physical competence, and creating a mastery-oriented physical-activity environment.Methods: Mixed quantitative and qualitative study to specify the effects of integration gamification and virtual reality in the physical activity program was used. Analyses were conducted using IBM Statistics SPSS 25.0 software. Also, we used independent-samples T-test to compare results.Results: Total of 25 elementary students participated in our study. This study performed about combination of gamification and virtual reality games. we divided all the students into diverse groups. Results indicated the use of virtual reality and gamification could enhance motivation in children to perform physical activity in school.Conclusion: Virtual reality technology and gamification on physical activity environments had a positive effect on the motivation of elementary students. virtual reality and gamification on motivation leads students to achieve higher levels of engagement in performing physical activity.
Acupuncture affects different ways for migraineurs of long- and short- courses on the efficiency of structural brain network
Authors: Wu Kang , Li Kuang Shi , Xu Ling Ling , Chen Pei , Jiang Lan , Wang Ya Hui , Chen Chen , Wang Yue , Geng Hua Lei , Liu Rui Jia , Ren Yi , Zou Yi Huai
Published: July 2020

Background: To study the impact of acupuncture treatment on structural brain network for patients with different courses of migraine without aura based on fMRI. Methods: A total of ten patients with a long course (>5 years) of migraine without aura (MWoA), ten patients with a short course (<5 years) of MWoA, and ten healthy volunteers were recruited in this trail. All patients received acupuncture treatment three times per week for four weeks. The changes in the topology properties of structural brain regions were observed via fMRI. The clinical symptom scores were adopted for evaluating the therapeutic effect. Results: 1) The small-world property on the group with a long course was decreased significantly (p<0.01) after treatment, while the group with a short course increased (p<0.01). 2) The clustering coefficient or nodal local efficiency of brain nodes (including the pontine crossing tract, left corticospinal tract, right medial lemniscus, left posterior limb of the internal capsule, right cingulum hippocampus, left fornix, left superior longitudinal fasciculus and right tapetum) showed significant changes (p<0.001) with an opposite tendency on the two groups after treatment. 3) The left posterior limb of the internal capsule (p<0.001, R=-0.73) and right tapetum (p<0.05, R=-0.54) had a strong relationship with migraine courses. Conclusions: The two unequal ways of acupuncture on the structural brain network of migraineurs with different disease courses were revealed. Acupuncture could regulate the central sensitization of chronic migraines, differently with the early stage. The nodal efficiency of the left posterior limb of the internal capsule and right tapetum would be symbols to discriminate against the process of MWoA.
Women’s Childbearing Age Associated with Optimal Fetal and Infant Outcomes: a population-based study
Authors: Zhang Xiaoyu , Reddy Uma M. , Zhang Jun
Published: July 2020

Background: Both teenage and delayed childbearing were associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, the optimal maternal age that is associated with the lowest risk of fetal and infant mortalities and morbidity is unclear. Methods: In this retrospective cohort, we pooled nulliparous singleton births from the U.S. Cohort Linked Birth-Infant Death Data, Natality and Fetal Death Data from 2011 to 2017. The study population included non-obese (body mass index < 30 kg/m2) nulliparous women with singleton gestation and greater than 20 weeks of gestation. The optimal maternal age at first childbirth for the lowest risk of fetal death, infant mortality, and neonatal morbidity (early preterm birth and severe small-for-gestational-age) was identified by using a second-degree fractional polynomial regression, stratified by race/ethnicity.Results: A total of 5,285,126 singleton births were analyzed for the outcomes of infant mortality and morbidity, and 4,386,757 were analyzed for fetal mortality rate. Non-Hispanic White, Hispanics and Asian American women shared similar maternal age patterns. Maternal age at 26-31 years was associated with the lowest risk of adverse fetal and infant outcomes. However, non-Hispanic Black had the optimal age 2-4 years earlier than other race/ethnic groups, namely 24-27 years old.Conclusions: Maternal age for the optimal pregnancy outcomes is around 24 to 31 years old for the majority of first-time mothers. Our results may provide useful information for counseling women regarding optimal timing of childbearing.
Does cancer education matter? Report on testicular cancer knowledge, awareness, and self-examination practice among young Polish men.
Authors: Pietrzyk Łukasz , Denisow-Pietrzyk Marta , Czeczelewski Marcin , Ślizień-Kuczapski Konrad , torres Kamil
Published: July 2020

Background Testicular cancer (TC) is the most common malignancy and the third leading cause of cancer deaths in male adolescents and young adults. Early detection of testicular cancer can be achieved by testicular self-examination (TSE). To date, however, no population-based studies examined TC knowledge and practice of TSE among Polish men. The objective of the study was to assess the level of TC knowledge and awareness as well as the altitude and practice towards TSE among Polish male high school and medical students.Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted in Poland with a representative sample of 1077 male students: 335 from high school and 742 medical students. An original questionnaire was designed as a multiple-choice question type and evaluated the participants’ knowledge and awareness of TC, opinion and attitudes towards performing TSE.Results The knowledge about TC epidemiology and the awareness of risk factors responsible for the TC was low. The knowledge of the signs and symptoms of TC was significantly higher among the medical students, compared to the high school students. The level of education was associated with the awareness of methods for early detection and symptoms of TC. A satisfactory level of awareness of the TSE practice was exhibited only by the medical students. The main reason for not performing self-examination was the lack of knowledge and practical skills.Conclusions The study reflects the deficiencies in health education among high school and medical students. The deficits of knowledge of TC in young men should motivate the education policy makers in Poland to implement education in the field of TC issues more widely in high schools. Moreover, cancer prevention modules and/or teaching methods should be improved in medical schools.
Multi-omics Study Reveal AP-1 as a Regulation Hub in Inflammation Induced Hyperalgesia Rat
Authors: Zhu Xiang , Li Feng , Wang Miqun , Su Huibin , Wu Xuedong , Qiu Haiyan , Zhou Wang , Shan Chunli , Wang Cancan , Wei Lei
Published: July 2020

Inflammation associated chronic pain is a global clinical problem, affecting millions of people worldwide. However, the underlying mechanism of inflammation associated chronic pain remains unclear. Complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) induced cutaneous inflammation rat has been widely used as an inflammation-induced pain hypersensitivity model. Herein, we presented a transcriptomic profile of CFA-induced rat dorsal root ganglion via a multi-omics approach. We identified 418 differentially expressed mRNAs, 120 differentially expressed microRNAs and 2670 differentially methylated regions, which are all highly associated with multiple inflammation related pathways, including NF-κB signaling pathways and IFN signaling pathways. Multi-omics analysis further demonstrated that AP-1 network, which works as a regulator of inflammation response, is sophisticatedly regulated at both transcriptomic and epigenetic level. We believe our data will not only provide drug screening targets for treating chronic pain and inflammation, but also shed a light on the molecular network inflammation induced hyperalgesia.
Prevalence of Anosmia and Ageusia in Patients with COVID-19 at a Primary Health Center, Doha, Qatar
Authors: Al-Ani Raid Muhmid , ACHARYA DEBASHIS
Published: July 2020

Background: Loss of smell and taste are common complaints in patients with the COVID-19 disease. These symptoms may present alone or with other symptoms. It is of utmost importance to know their rates of occurrence for better controlling of the infection. Objectives: To detect the prevalence of anosmia and ageusia in individuals with COVID-19 in Al-Wajbah Primary Health Center, Doha, Qatar.Materials and methods: This retrospective study was conducted at Al-Wajbah Primary Health Center, Doha, Qatar. The study covered the two-month period -May and June 2020. The proven cases of COVID-19 by real-time PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) were enrolled in the study. Data regarding the age, gender, symptomatology including anosmia and ageusia, history of recent travel, smoking, past history of nasal and paranasal diseases (NPND), and severity of the disease were taken from the patients’ records. IBM- SPSS version 22 statistical software was used for the analysis of the data.Results: Out of 141, 35 (24.82%) subject presented with anosmia, ageusia or both. Most of the patients were from age group >30 year (n=104, 73.76%) with nearly equal gender. The majority of the individuals were without history of recent travel (92.2%) and smoking (80.14%). Three-quarters of the patients were asymptomatic, and 51.06% with a past history of NPND. The male sex, history of recent travel, smoking, and severe course of the disease were positive, highly significant association with anosmia or ageusia. All patients returned to their normal smell and taste sensations within a mean duration of 6.89 days.Conclusion: Loss of taste and smell were common symptomatology of COVID-19 disease. The males, recent travel, smoking, and severe course of the disease were risk factors of the anosmia and ageusia in COVID-19 cases.
Point mutation bias in SARS-CoV-2 variants results in increased ability to stimulate inflammatory responses
Authors: Kosuge Masato , Furusawa-Nishii Emi , Ito Koyu , Saito Yoshiro , Ogasawara Kouetsu
Published: July 2020

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection induces severe pneumonia and is the cause of a worldwide pandemic. Coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, have RNA proofreading enzymes in their genomes, resulting in fewer gene mutations than other RNA viruses. Nevertheless, variants of SARS-CoV-2 exist and may induce different symptoms; however, the factors and the impacts of these mutations are not well understood. We found that there is a bias to the mutations occurring in SARS-CoV-2 variants, with disproportionate mutation to uracil (U). These point mutations to U are mainly derived from cytosine (C), which is consistent with the substrate specificity of host RNA editing enzymes, APOBECs. We also found the point mutations which are consistent with other RNA editing enzymes, ADARs. For the C-to-U mutations, the context of the upstream uracil and downstream guanine from mutated position was found to be most prevalent. Further, the degree of increase of U in SARS-CoV-2 variants correlates with enhanced production of cytokines, such as TNF-a and IL-6, in cell lines when compared with stimulation by the ssRNA sequence of the isolated virus in Wuhan. Therefore, RNA editing is a factor for mutation bias in SARS-CoV-2 variants, which affects host inflammatory cytokines production.
Impact assessment of check dam recharge sites in the pappiredipatti Watershed (South India) by using LULC and NDVI Data
Authors: Satheeshkumar S. , Venkateswaran S.
Published: July 2020

Abstract: Agriculture is one of the essential sector in because of the changing phenomenon of weather condition which is further complicated by the interaction of the vegetation with the environment. Scarcity of rainfall causes physiognomic changes can be identified by satellite images through the use of vegetation indices and landuse and land cover changes. The vegetation indices are sensitive to the rate of plant growth as well as to the amount of growth. They are sensitive to change in vegetation affected by moisture stress. Hence, scarcity can be monitored more systematically through remote sensing techniques than the ground based methods of collection of information. The capabilities of Geospatial techniques have been used to demarcate effective sites for monitoring functional characteristics of water conservation structures in the pappiredipatti watershed. In this study, land use/land covers have been used to delineate the existing recharge sites for water conservation measures. Increase of groundwater resource is proposed in the watershed by constructing runoff storage structures like as check dam, percolation tank and gabion structures. The site effective water conservation structures is determined by considering spatially varying parameters land use/land cover and natural difference vegetation index (NDVI) information of the watershed. Geospatial technique has been used to store, analyse, integrate spatial and attribute information pertaining to functional characteristics of land use and land cover within buffering distance in the area of interest of watershed. For detailed changes around recharge area assessment an attempt was made over the watershed. Crop growth area was assessed in and around under forest, barren land and dense vegetation area using temporal normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) on 1985, 2005 and 2015. They have compared with vegetation area regions, and crop wise area growing were identified. Based on the result obtained from the study area on vegetation cover, buffered around recharge area impact was assessed by NDVI. Decrease in barren land on 2005 by identifying the NDVI threshold over predominantly sparse vegetation growing regions, crop wise area was identified. Further, the water body was estimated from NDVI data of 2005 and 2015 which have been validated for the vegetation assessment. The result of Landsat data use study indicated decrease in dense vegetation area that has leading to wide spread drought condition in the some part of the watershed.
The Global Use of Mobile Based Applications in Tuberculosis (TB) Care: A Systematic Review Protocol
Authors: Ncube Cynthia , Naidoo Saloshni , Mdul Takafira
Published: July 2020

Background: Tuberculosis remains one of the world’s deadliest communicable diseases despite being preventable and curable. The use of mobile phones has increased worldwide over the past decade and this has created opportunities to use mobile phones as intervention tools in health care including in promoting prevention, treatment and adherence monitoring and evaluation. However, the potential of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to fight TB remains largely untapped. Many countries are still researching further on how to use eHealth and mHealth effectively in the fight against TB. This systematic review protocol seeks to explore the mobile based applications that are being used in TB care globally and will provide crucial information to inform programming for the national TB programme, bringing the focus on interventions that really influence improving TB outcomes.Methods: A systematic review will be conducted through online searches using comprehensive Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms in various combinations. Information sources will include the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Medline, Google Scholar and PubMed. The review will be done by 2 reviewers who will resolve discrepancies through consensus. Narrative data synthesis will be done.Discussion: Analysis of the selected studies will provide information on the use of the mobile applications in TB care globally. Conclusions will be based on the best available scientific evidence. The results will provide crucial information to inform programming for the national TB programme, bringing the focus on interventions that really influence improving TB outcomes. This will result in the effective use of resources by channelling them where there is the greatest impact in terms of reducing morbidity and mortality due to TB in Zimbabwe. Systematic review protocol registration: PROSPERO CRD42020154793
Engineering Properties Of Ceramsite Proppant And Its Application On Hydraulic Fracture For A Coalbed Methane Well
Authors: Zou Mingjun , Zhang Miao , Wu Jiaqi , Liu Yuanzheng
Published: July 2020

Ceramsite is a porous engineering material with some basic mineral constituents, and has advantages of low density, high sphericity and high flow conductivity. It should be a good attempt to be adopted in hydraulic fracture, but related researches are really weak. In this paper, laboratory experiments are conducted on ceramsite, coated ceramsite and other typical proppants, which indicates that the coated ceramsite is the best proppant. Then, a coalbed methane well located in the soft coal area in Qinshui basin of China is selected as the research object, numerical simulations and statistic analyses are both conducted to obtain the granularity proportion and parameter optimization by using coated ceramsite. Some findings are achieved. Numerical simulation indicates that the granularity proportion for coated ceramsites of 40/60, 16/40 and 12/20 mesh should choose 1:6:2, which can receive a biggest proppant concentration and strongest flow conductivity. Construction parameters are all optimized for a best fracture performance. Micro seismic monitoring indicates that the actual fracture performance matches well with the simulated result. Drainage performance comparisons reveal that coated ceramsite is suitable for soft coal areas, and can achieve good drainage performances.
Association Between Early Central Venous Pressure Measurement and Mortality in Patients With Sepsis: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Chen Han , Gong Shu-Rong , Shang Xiu-Ling , Yu Rong-Guo
Published: July 2020

Background: It remains controversial to abandon central venous pressure (CVP) in the monitoring of fluid resuscitation in sepsis patients. We hypothesized that early CVP measurement was associated with decreased mortality in critically ill patients with sepsis. Methods: Critically ill patients with sepsis were identified from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC)-III database. Patients were divided into two groups base on whether or not they had a CVP measurement within the first 6 hours of ICU stay. The primary endpoint was 28-day mortality. Patients were further divided into four subgroups base on the time when the first CVP measurement was obtained: within 3 hours, between 3 and 6 hours, between 6 and 12 hours, and not measured within 12 hours. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression model were used for univariate and multivariate analyses of survival, respectively.RESULTS: A total of 4733 sepsis patients were included. The 28-day mortality was significantly lower in the CVP measured group than in the control group (34.2 vs. 40.7, p < 0.001). A “U”-shaped relationship between initial CVP and mortality was identified. With patients without CVP measured within 12 hours serving as the reference subgroup, timely CVP measurement was associated with decreased 28-day mortality before and after adjusting for confounding variables.CONCLUSIONS: Early CVP measurement is associated with decreased 28-day mortality in patients with sepsis. CVP should be considered as a valuable and easily accessible safety parameter during (early) fluid resuscitation.
Sirt1 Protects Cartilage Against Degradation through FoxO1 Nucleo-cytoplasmic Shuttling and Positive Regulation of Autophagy
Authors: Xu Mao , Qian Zhuang , Zhang Ying , Gao Xin , Ma Zhengmin , Kang Xiaomin , Jin Xinxin , Li Huixia , Li Fang , Zhao Liting , Zhang Zhuanmin , Xu Min , Wu Shufang
Published: July 2020

Background: Sirt1 plays an important role in the pathophysiological process of osteoarthritis (OA) as we reported previously, however, the underlying mechanisms are still poorly addressed. Methods: The cartilage samples from OA patients’ knee joint were collected and detected histologically and immunohistochemistically. The effects of cartilage specific Sirt1 deletion on cartilage homeostasis were evaluated in destabilization of medial meniscus (DMM)-induced OA mice model (n=10). Finally, the underlying regulation of Sirt1 on cartilage was verified by coimmunoprecipitation (CoIP) and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) in vitro.Results: The expression levels of SIRT1, FoxO1 and autophagy decreased in OA cartilage. We further found that DMM-induced OA in cartilage specific Sirt1 deletion mice displayed an aggravated OA development, with increased chondrocytes hypertrophy and apoptosis while decreased autophagy activity. In vitro experiments indicated that FoxO1 regulated Sirt1 expression by nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling through an auto-feedback loop leading to an increased autophagy level. Consistently, the activation of autophagy activity partly rescued OA-like changes in chondrocytes.Conclusions: Sirt1 protects cartilage against degradation through FoxO1 nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling and positive regulation of autophagy, which all play a protective role in OA pathophysiological process, possibly partial adjustment by positive feedback.
Developing an Approach for Generating a Spatial Urban Health Equity Map and Validating via Volunteered Geographic Information
Authors: samani zeinab neisani , Karimi Mohammad , Alesheikh Aliasghar , Samany Najmeh neisani
Published: July 2020

Spatial urban health equity assessment is of vital importance, relating closely to quality of life standards and level of urban development. Generally, spatial health equity can be assessed according to spatial accessibility to health care and medical centers (HCMCs), green spaces, public transportation stations and main roads. The density and distribution of HCMCs are also important factors in spatial health equity assessment and air pollution level can also affect the health of citizens. This paper aims to model the spatial urban health equity map by aggregating all these criteria using reference data. Then, it compares the health equity map generated from reference data to one generated by volunteered geographic information (VGI) by citizens. The main contributions of this paper include i) aggregating spatial accessibility criteria, density and distribution of HCMCs and air pollution levels, based on the Mamdani fuzzy inference system (FIS), ii) comparing the spatial equity map with a health equity map achieved using VGI. Health equity status of citizens was categorized into five levels from ‘very appropriate’ to ‘very inappropriate’ and collected by citizens using a VGI website. The proposed method was implemented in District 6 of Tehran, Iran. Our findings showed for the resulting map with the reference data that almost 62% of the study area, was reported as ‘appropriate or ‘very appropriate’, 20% as ‘good’ and about 18% as ‘inappropriate’ or ‘very inappropriate’. The collected VGI from citizens achieved results with 72% compatibility. Furthermore, according to the precision, recall and F-score measures, most accuracy was attributed to the ‘appropriate’ level of spatial health equity and the least accuracy to the ‘very inappropriate’ level.
School-Based Cognitive Behavioral Intervention Program For Addressing Anxiety In 10- To 11-Year-Olds Using Short Classroom Activities: A Quasi-Experimental Study
Authors: Urao Yuko , Yoshida Michiko , Sato Yasunori , Shimizu Eiji
Published: July 2020

Background: Several school-based cognitive behavioral intervention programs have been developed to prevent and improve children’s anxiety disorders. Most programs require a duration of more than 10 hours for completion. We developed a cognitive behavioral program called “Journey of the Brave.” The study aimed to examine the effectiveness of the brief version of the program among 10- to 11-year-old children using 20-minute short classroom activities. Methods: A total of 90 children were divided into two groups (the intervention group, n=31 and the control group, n=59). The control group did not attend any program sessions and followed the regular school curriculum. We conducted fourteen weekly program sessions and assessed children at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at 2-month follow-up (6 months after the start). The primary outcome measure was children’s anxiety symptoms, measured using the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS), and the secondary outcome measure was behavior problems, measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).Results: A statistically significant reduction in the SCAS score in the intervention group was found at 2-month follow up compared with the control group. Significant reduction was also observed in the SDQ score. Conclusions: Our study suggested that this “Journey of the Brave” program, which requires only 5 hours using short classroom activities, demonstrated a similar effectiveness as the previous programs, which required over 10 hours.Trial registration: UMIN, UMIN000009021, Registered 10 March 2012, https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/icdr/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000010575
Modelling of the second (and subsequent) waves of the coronavirus epidemic. Spain and Germany as case studies
Authors: Castro Francisco de
Published: July 2020

The first wave of the coronavirus pandemic is waning in many countries. Some of them are starting to lift the confinement measures adopted to control it, but there is considerable uncertainty about if it is too soon and it may cause a second wave of the epidemic. To explore this issue, I fitted a SEIR model with time-dependent transmission and mortality rates to data from Spain and Germany as contrasting case studies. The model reached an excellent fit to the data. I then simulated the post-confinement epidemic under several scenarios. The model shows that (in the absence of a vaccine) a second wave is likely inevitable and will arrive soon, and that a strategy of adaptive confinement may be effective to control it. The model also shows that just a few days delay in starting the confinement may have caused and excess of thousands of deaths in Spain.
Study of digital lung three-dimensional imaging technology in early COPD
Authors: Tao Huimin , Shui Yuexiang , Fang Kai , Fang Yukun , Song Jia , Zhu Zhanying , Jiang Chunyan , Chen Qingyong
Published: July 2020

Background

COPD is characterized by progressive development of airflow limitation. Small airway functional and structural disease is considered pivotal in the pathology of early COPD. We used pulmonary function (PFT) and digital lung three-dimensional (3D) imaging technology to detect small airway functional and structural disease that applied for screening early COPD.
Methods

136 patients underwent PFT and CT at the 903th Hospital of People Liberation Army from January 2018 to January 2019, including 90 in the observation group and 46 in the control group. We tested the associations between digital lung 3D imaging technology parameters and PFT. Then, we detected small airway functional and structural disease by comparing digital lung 3D imaging technology parameters and PFT between the observation and control groups.
Results

There were correlations between digital lung 3D imaging technology parameters and PFT. Furthermore, compared with generation 5 bronchus, there were significant correlations between FEV1/FVC with generation 7 WT (r = -0.592; p < 0.01), and TDR (r = -0.608; p < 0.01). There were significant correlations between MEF50 with generation 7 WT (r = -0.607; p < 0.01), LA (r = 0.632; p < 0.01), and WA% (r = -0.643; p < 0.01). We found that we could evaluate the lung function change by the technology, and generation 7 bronchus were more effective in assessing small airway disease. There were significant differences between the observation and control groups in digital lung 3D imaging technology parameters and PFT (P < 0.05).
Conclusion

We found that the observation group had small airway functional and structural disease as compared with control group, which was diagnosed as early COPD. Our results showed that we could use PFT and digital lung 3D imaging technology to detect small airway functional and structural disease that applied for screening early COPD.
Flash Assisted Synthesis and Electrical Performance of MnO2-doped ZnO-Bi2O3-based Ceramics
Authors: Peng Pai , Chen Caohong , Niu Jingpeng , Shi Liyi , Liu Juan , Chen Guorong , Liu Zhiyuan , XU Dong
Published: July 2020

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Sustainability of the Exploitation of Campi Flegrei Geothermal Area Using a Zero-mass Extraction Device
Authors: Alimonti Claudio , Soldo Elena , Sepede Gennaro , Gómez-Lopera Salvador Ángel
Published: July 2020

In this paper, the use of a zero-mass extraction device has been simulated in the volcanic area of CampiFlegrei (Italy),one of the most promising geothermal districts of Italy.The sustainability of the heat extraction has been studied with a coupled model of the geothermal reservoir and the deep borehole heat exchanger. The reservoir model has been built using the SHEMAT software, the heat transfer in the deep borehole heat exchanger has been simulated using GEOPIPE, a pure conductive semi-analytical model. An iterative approach has been used to couple the two simulators. The work has demonstrated that the area of CampiFlegrei is a promising candidate to produce sustainable geothermal energy with a zero-mass extraction device. It is also demonstrated that the coupled model of reservoir and deep borehole heat exchanger is the best modelling approach when convective structures are present in the geothermal system, which can generate heat recovery effects.
Identification of Four Key Biomarkers and Small Molecule Drugs Innasopharyngeal Carcinoma by Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis
Authors: Pan Xi , Liu Jian-Hao
Published: July 2020

Background

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a heterogeneous carcinoma that the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in the tumor initiation, progression, and migration are largely unclear. The purpose of the present study was to identify key biomarkers and small-molecule drugs for NPC screening, diagnosis, and therapy via gene expression profile analysis.
Methods

Raw microarray data of NPC were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and analyzed to screen out the potential differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The key modules associated with histology grade and tumor stage was identified by using weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA). Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses of genes in the key module were performed to identify potential mechanisms. Candidate hub genes were obtained, which based on the criteria of module membership (MM) and high connectivity. Then we used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to evaluate the diagnostic value of hub genes. The Connectivity map database was further used to screen out small-molecule drugs of hub genes.
Results

A total of 430 DEGs were identified based on two GEO datasets. The green gene module was considered as key module for the tumor stage of NPC via WGCNA analysis. The results of functional enrichment analysis revealed that genes in the green module were enriched in regulation of cell cycle, p53 signaling pathway, cell part morphogenesis. Furthermore, four DEGs-related hub genes in the green module were considered as the final hub genes. Then ROC revealed that the final four hub genes presented with high areas under the curve, suggesting these hub genes may be diagnostic biomarkers for NPC. Meanwhile, we screened out several small-molecule drugs that have provided potentially therapeutic goals for NPC.
Conclusions

Our research identified four potential prognostic biomarkers and several candidate small-molecule drugs for NPC, which may contribute to the new insights for NPC therapy.
Detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies is insufficient for the diagnosis of active or prior COVID-19
Authors: Escribano Pilar , Alvarez-Uria Ana , Alonso Roberto , Catalán Pilar , Alcala Luis , Muñoz Patricia , Guinea Jesus
Published: July 2020

We assessed the performance of Abbott's SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay and the PanbioTM COVID-19 IgG/IgM rapid test device for the diagnosis of active and past/cured COVID-19. Three cohorts of patients were chosen. Cohort 1, patients (n=65) who attended the emergency department on March 30, 2020 with clinical suspicion of active COVID-19 (n=56 with proven/probable COVID-19). Cohort 2, hospital workers (n=92) who had either been (n=40) or not (n=52) diagnosed with proven/probable COVID-19 and were asymptomatic at the time of the sampling. Cohort 3, patients (n=38) cared at the hospital before the start of the COVID pandemic. Detection of serum antibodies was done using Abbott´s SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay and the PanbioTM COVID-19 IgG/IgM device. Both methods showed 98% agreement for IgG detection. No antibodies were detected in the 38 samples from hospitalized pre-COVID subjects. The diagnostic performance of IgGs detected by Abbott´s SARS-CoV-2 assay in Cohorts 1/2 was: sensitivity (60.7%/75%) and specificity (100%/84.6%). The diagnostic performance of IgM by PanbioTM COVID-19 in Cohorts 1/2 was: sensitivity (16%/17.5%) and specificity (100%/98.1%). We show that IgG detection alone is insufficient for the diagnosis of active or past COVID-19. IgM detection has a limited diagnostic value.