bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relationship between Severity of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis and Ligamentum Flavum Hypertrophy and Serum Inflammatory Factors
Authors: He Nina , Qi Wenbin , Zhao Yongli , Wang Xiaojun
Published: October 2022

Objective. This study is aimed at investigating the correlation between lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) severity, ligamentum flavum hypertrophy, and the upregulation of inflammatory markers. Methods. From March 2019 and May 2022, eighty-five inpatients with LSS were enlisted as the study’s research group, while sixty-five patients hospitalized for lumbar intervertebral disc herniation over the same time period served as the study’s control group. Moreover, mild, moderate, and severe subgroups of patients were created within the research population based on their LSS severity. The ligamentum flavum thickness and the positive expression rates of TNF-α, TGF-β1, and IL-1α were compared between the study group and the control group. The levels of TNF-α, TGF-β1, and IL-1α that were found to be positively expressed were compared between the mild, moderate, and severe groups. Patients with LSS had their ligamentum flavum thickness and their positive expression rates of TNF-α, TGF-β1, and IL-1α analyzed using Spearman correlation analysis. We evaluated the diagnostic utility of the positive expression rates of IL-α1, TGF-β1, and TNF-α and ligamentum flavum thickness in distinguishing the severity of LSS using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results. The rates of both lower limb pain (40.00%) and intermittent claudication (80.00%) in the LSS group were higher than those in the lumbar disc herniation group (15.38%, 12.31%), with statistical significance (

P
<
0.05

). However, no substantial disparity was observed in left lower limb pain, right lower limb pain, low back pain, lower limb sensation, muscle strength, and reflex abnormalities between the two groups (

P
>
0.05

). Positive expressions of TGF-β1, TNF-α, and IL-1α and thicker ligamentum flavum were more prevalent in the LSS group than in the lumbar intervertebral disc herniation group. All indexes were significantly (

P
<
0.05

) higher in the moderate stenosis group than in the severe stenosis group. Additionally, the thickness of the ligamentum flavum and the positive expression rates of TNF-α, TGF-β1, and IL-1α were higher in the mild and moderate stenosis groups than in the severe stenosis group. The expression levels of TNF-α, TGF-β1, and IL-1α were favorably linked with ligamentum flavum thickness (

P
<
0.05

). ROC curve analysis showed that the thickness of ligamentum flavum, the expression of IL-1α, the expression of TGF-β1, and the expression of TNF-α could effectively diagnose mild, moderate, and severe LSS (

P
<
0.05

). Conclusion. Ligamentum flavum hypertrophy and positive expression rates of IL-1α, TGF-β1, and TNF-α are closely linked to LSS, which can effectively identify mild, moderate, and severe LSS.
miR-409-3p Regulated by GATA2 Promotes Cardiac Fibrosis through Targeting Gpd1
Authors: Wang Chun , Yin Shengxia , Wang Qin , Jiang Min , Li Shanshan , Zhen Wen , Duan Yi , Gu Huanyu
Published: October 2022

Cardiac fibrosis is a hallmark of numerous chronic cardiovascular diseases that leads to heart failure. However, there is no validated therapy for it. Dysregulation of microRNAs has been confirmed to be involved in cardiac fibrosis development. However, the regulatory network was not well explored. This study was the first to highlight the role and molecular mechanism of miR-409-3p in cardiac fibrosis. We found that miR-409-3p was consistently increased in three fibrotic models, including heart tissues of postmyocardial infarction (MI) mice and neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts treated with angiotensin II (Ang II) or transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). Furthermore, myocardial infarction surgery-induced cardiac fibrosis and dysfunction were attenuated by systemic delivery of miR-409-3p antagomir. Notably, transfection with miR-409-3p mimics promoted the proliferation of cardiac fibroblasts and fibroblast-to-myofibroblast differentiation, accompanied by upregulated expression of Col1a1, Col3a1, and α-SMA. On the contrary, the miR-409-3p inhibitor exhibited the opposite effect. Following this, we verified Gpd1 as a direct target of miR-409-3p. Gpd1 siRNA abolished the antifibrotic effect of miR-409-3p inhibitor in neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts, suggesting that miR-409-3p promotes cardiac fibrosis at least partially through Gpd1. Moreover, GATA2 was identified as a cardiac fibrosis-associated upstream positive transcription factor of miR-409-3p. Finally, these findings suggest that modulating miR-409-3p could be a potential therapeutic method for cardiac fibrosis.
Deconstruction of Urban Public Space Art Design Using Intelligent Sensor and Information Fusion
Authors: Meng He , Sun Yanming
Published: October 2022

The main purpose of smart city is to improve the quality of life, improve the efficiency of life, and save the energy resources of life, which is in line with the current global concept of low-carbon environmental protection, energy saving and emission reduction, and ecological sustainable development. Under the process of smart city, the development of urban public space is also committed to meeting the material and spiritual needs of residents’ lives. For the system hardware design, the street lamp node, and the concentrator node hardware design, the sensing node is composed of multiple sensors. Its main components are temperature sensor, infrared sensor, sound sensor, and light intensity sensor, which, respectively, realize the collection of temperature, infrared, sound, and light intensity information. The street light sensing system uses multisensor information fusion technology to detect the situation of people and vehicles in real time, so that people and vehicles can turn on the street lights and turn off the street lights of unmanned vehicles. Adjust the street light switch according to the intelligent analysis of the lighting demand scene in order to enhance the accuracy of the system to identify the lighting demand scene. This enables the system to provide safe lighting conditions for urban traffic while saving the power consumption of urban lighting. The sensor system of the street light randomly selects the detection results of temperature and humidity within a certain period of time. The error rate of the final test result is 1/2 of that of the traditional test, and the accuracy is far lower than that of the traditional measurement method. Regarding the lighting system of street lamps and public art in urban public spaces, it is worthy of extensive promotion to control street lamp lighting through sensor information fusion technology and reduce energy consumption.
Metallographic Investigation on Postweld Heat-Treated0.21%C-1020 Steel Plates Joined by SMAW Method
Authors: Dewangan Saurabh , Selvaraj Senthil Kumaran , B Karthikeyan , Adane Tezeta Moges , Chattopadhyaya Somnath , Królczyk Grzegorz , Raju Ramesh
Published: October 2022

This paper presents analysis and comparison into mechanical behaviour and microstructural attributes of postweld heat-treated AISI 1020 (0.21%-C) plates joined by the shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) process. The purpose of this work is to heat the welded samples uniformly so that a possible formation of austenite can be obtained, and hence, residual stresses, if any, can be recovered. Four pairs of such steel were taken and welded to form four joints. Welding was followed by heat treatment. The heating temperature and holding time were selected as 1040°C and 60 minutes, respectively. Different cooling media such as sand, water, oil, and air were used to cool the samples. Hence, there were four different samples according to their physical conditions: sand-cooled, water-quenched, oil-quenched, and air-cooled. For analysing mechanical behaviour of all the plates, standard-shaped specimens were prepared out of them. The tensile strength, impact strength, hardness, and the microstructural attributes were analysed in four welded samples after heat treatment. Significant variations in tensile strength and hardness were reported when compared with each other. Oil-cooled sample showed a remarkable enhancement in tensile strength. The sand-cooled sample possessed the highest toughness, whereas water-quenched samples were found to be highly hard. Furthermore, a good combination of strength, hardness, and ductility was reported in oil-cooled sample. Pearlite (coarse and fine) and martensite were the main microstructural findings in the study. A clear vision of ferrite, cementite, and martensite on various heat-treated samples made this study important. All the mechanical properties are in good corroboration with microstructure. A significant refinement into all the mechanical properties was achieved in this work.
Prediction Model of Residual Neural Network for Pathological Confirmed Lymph Node Metastasis of Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Yao Huanchun , Zhang Xinglong
Published: October 2022

Purpose. We want to develop a model for predicting lymph node status based on positron emission computed tomography (PET) images of untreated ovarian cancer patients. We use the feature map formed by wavelet transform and the parameters obtained by image segmentation to build the model. The model is expected to help clinicians and provide additional information about what to do with first‐visit patients. Materials and Methods. Our study included 224 patients with ovarian cancer. We have chosen two main methods to extract information from images. On the one hand, we segmented the image to extract the parameters to evaluate the clustering effect. On the other hand, we used wavelet transform to extract the image’s texture information to form the image’s feature map. Based on the above two kinds of information, we used residual neural network and support vector machine for modeling. Results. We established a model to predict lymph node metastasis in patients with primary ovarian cancer using PET images. On the training set, our accuracy was 0.8854, AUC: 0.9472, CI: 0.9098‐0.9752, sensitivity was 0.9865, and specificity was 0.7952. On the test set, our accuracy was 0.9104, AUC: 0.9259, CI: 0.8417‐0.9889, sensitivity was 0.8125, and specificity was 1.0000. Conclusions. We used wavelet transform to process the preoperative medical images of ovarian cancer patients, and the residual neural network can effectively predict the lymph node metastasis of ovarian cancer patients, which is undoubted of great significance for patients’ staging and treatment options.
Proposed Detection Face Model by MobileNetV2 Using Asian Data Set
Authors: Huu Phat Nguyen , Quang Vinh Tran , Le Bao Chau Nguyen , Minh Quang Tran
Published: October 2022

In 2019, the infectious coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first reported in Wuhan, China. It has then become a public health problem in the world. This pandemic is having a heavy impact on the lives of people in our country. All countries are trying to control the spread of this disease. To solve the problem, each person needs to wear masks in a public place. Therefore, we propose a model capable of distinguishing between masked and nonmasked faces using a convolutional neural network (CNN) based on deep learning (DL)—MobileNetV2 in this paper. The model can detect people who are not wearing masks. It has an accuracy of up to 99.37%. The model will be applied in places such as schools, offices, and so on to monitor the wearing masks.
Epidemiology of First and Recurrent Ischemic Stroke in Sweden 2010–2019: A Riksstroke Study
Authors: Drescher Conrad , Buchwald Fredrik , Ullberg Teresa , Pihlsgård Mats , Norrving Bo , Petersson Jesper
Published: October 2022

Introduction: Ischemic stroke incidence appears to have decreased during the last decades, but most studies focus on the first-ever events and epidemiological data on recurrent stroke are scarce. The aim of our study was to investigate trends in incidence, risk factors, and medication in patients with first-ever and recurrent ischemic stroke between 2010 and 2019 in Sweden. Methods: We included patients (≥18 years old) with ischemic stroke registered in the hospital-based Swedish Stroke Register (Riksstroke) 2010–2019. The coverage of Riksstroke was consistently high (about 90%) during this period. Data were stratified by first-ever and recurrent ischemic stroke in three different time periods (2010–2012, 2013–2016, and 2017–2019) and shown as crude and age-specific incidence rates per 100,000 person-years. Statistics Sweden provided census data on the Swedish population in different age groups. Results: During the study period, 201,316 cases of ischemic stroke were registered in Riksstroke, including 153,865 (76.4%) cases of first-ever ischemic stroke and 46,248 (23.0%) cases of recurrent ischemic stroke (0.6% of cases unclassified). The crude incidence of first-ever ischemic stroke decreased by 17% from 216 (95% CI 214–218) to 179 (95% CI 177–181) between 2010–2012 and 2017–2019, whereas recurrent ischemic stroke decreased by 33% from 72 (95% CI 71–73) to 48 (95% CI 47–49). Between these time periods, diminishing ischemic stroke incidence was seen in all age groups with highest decline noted in those aged 75–84 years (928 [95% CI 914–943] to 698 [95% CI 686–709]; −25% in first-ever ischemic stroke and 361 [95% CI 351–370] to 219 [95% CI 213–226]; −39% in recurrent ischemic stroke) and ≥85 years (1,674 [95% CI 1,645–1,703] to 1,295 [95% CI 1,270–1,320]; −23% in first-ever ischemic stroke and 683 [95% CI 664–702] to 423 [95% CI 409–437]; −38% in recurrent ischemic stroke). Treatment with anticoagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation and lipid-lowering drugs increased considerably in patients with first-ever and recurrent ischemic stroke both at admission and discharge during the study period. Conclusion: Whereas both first-ever and recurrent ischemic stroke rates declined in Sweden between 2010 and 2019, the proportional decline was almost double for recurrent ischemic stroke than for first-ever ischemic stroke and most pronounced in the elderly. Increased use of secondary preventive drugs, in particular anticoagulants in atrial fibrillation, appears to have contributed, but further studies on precise causes for the decline in recurrent ischemic stroke are needed.
Instrumento para mensurar habilidades culinárias domésticas na atenção primária à saúde
Authors: Teixeira Aline Rissatto , Camanho Júlia Souza Pinto , Miguel Flavia da Silva , Mega Helena Carvalho , Slater Betzabeth
Published: October 2022

OBJETIVO Desenvolver e validar instrumento para mensuração de habilidades culinárias domésticas de profissionais de saúde envolvidos com orientações de promoção da alimentação adequada e saudável da atenção primária à saúde. MÉTODOS Estudo metodológico com abordagem psicométrica, realizado no município de São Paulo entre janeiro e novembro de 2020, para desenvolvimento e validação de instrumento on-line autoaplicável. Os dados dos 472 participantes foram apresentados por estatística descritiva. A validação de conteúdo foi realizada por julgamento de especialistas utilizando técnica Delphi de dois rounds e estatísticas empíricas para evidência de consenso. Empregou-se análise fatorial exploratória para validação de constructo e análise de confiabilidade, analisados índices de ajuste do modelo e fidedignidade composta. RESULTADOS O instrumento apresentou validade de conteúdo satisfatória para índices de CVRc e 𝜅 nos dois rounds da técnica Delphi. Após análise fatorial, o modelo final da Escala de Habilidades Culinárias Domésticas da Atenção Primária à Saúde apresentou 29 itens com cargas fatoriais adequadas (> 0,3). Os testes de esfericidade de Bartlett e Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) realizados em análise fatorial exploratória sugeriram interpretabilidade na matriz de correlação, a análise paralela indicou quatro domínios e variância explicada de 64,1%. A fidedignidade composta dos fatores foi adequada (> 0,70) e o índice H sugeriu fatores replicáveis em estudos futuros. Todos os índices de ajustes mostraram-se adequados. CONCLUSÕES A Escala de Habilidades Culinárias Domésticas da Atenção Primária à Saúde apresentou evidências de validade e confiabilidade. É curta e de fácil aplicação e possibilitará a averiguação de forma fidedigna da necessidade de qualificação da força de trabalho, favorecendo o planejamento de ações e políticas públicas de promoção da alimentação adequada e saudável na atenção primária à saúde.
Consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados por crianças de uma Coorte de Nascimentos de Pelotas
Authors: Pereira Anna Müller , Buffarini Romina , Domingues Marlos Rodrigues , Barros Fernando Celso Lopes Fernandes , Silveira Mariângela Freitas da
Published: October 2022

OBJETIVO Avaliar o consumo habitual de alimentos ultraprocessados aos 24 meses de idade por crianças pertencentes à Coorte de Nascimentos de Pelotas de 2015 e os principais fatores demográficos, socioeconômicos e comportamentais relacionados ao consumo desses produtos. MÉTODOS Coorte de base populacional na cidade de Pelotas-RS, onde foram avaliadas 4.275 crianças ao nascimento, das quais 95,4% foram acompanhadas até os 24 meses. O consumo alimentar foi avaliado por meio de um questionário de consumo habitual de alimentos ultraprocessados, coletando informações sobre sexo, renda familiar, cor da pele, escolaridade e idade da mãe, frequentar creche, ter irmãos, status de amamentação e obesidade. O desfecho foi a somatória de alimentos ultraprocessados consumidos habitualmente pela criança. Análise multivariada por regressão de Poisson foi utilizada para estimar a associação entre consumo habitual de alimentos ultraprocessados e as variáveis de exposição. RESULTADOS O número médio de alimentos ultraprocessados consumidos habitualmente foi de 4,8 (DP = 2,3). O consumo habitual de alimentos ultraprocessados foi associado positivamente à cor da pele preta e ter irmãos e negativamente associado com renda familiar, escolaridade e idade materna. CONCLUSÕES A média de consumo habitual de alimentos ultraprocessados por crianças pertencentes à Coorte de Nascimentos de 2015 da cidade de Pelotas é elevada, o que pode causar um efeito negativo na dieta das crianças. O risco de consumo desses alimentos foi maior entre crianças de famílias de menor posição socioeconômica, filhas de mães de baixa escolaridade, de cor da pele preta, mais jovens e de baixa renda.
Transtorno mental comum na gravidez e sintomas depressivos pós-natal no estudo MINA-Brasil: ocorrência e fatores associados
Authors: Silva Bruno Pereira da , Matijasevich Alicia , Malta Maíra Barreto , Neves Paulo A R , Mazzaia Maria Cristina , Gabrielloni Maria Cristina , Castro Márcia C , Cardoso Marly Augusto
Published: October 2022

OBJETIVO Investigar a ocorrência e os fatores associados com os transtornos mentais comuns na gestação e sintomas depressivos no pós-parto, bem como a associação entre ambos na Amazônia Ocidental Brasileira. MÉTODOS Coorte prospectiva no estudo MINA-Brasil com mulheres atendidas na atenção primária à saúde de Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre. Foram realizadas duas avaliações clínicas na gestação (primeira: 16–20 semanas; segunda: 28 semanas gestacionais) e três avaliações no pós-parto (aos 3, 6 e 12 meses), nas quais foram coletados dados demográficos e socioeconômicos, gestacionais, de estilo de vida e clínicos. Utilizou-se o Self-Reported Questionnaire (escore ≥ 8) para rastreamento do transtorno mental comum gestacional e a escala de depressão pós-natal de Edimburgo (escore ≥ 10) para identificação de sintomas depressivos pós-parto. Foi utilizada regressão logística ordinal ajustada para investigar a relação entre as covariáveis e a ocorrência de transtornos mentais comuns na gravidez e a sintomatologia depressiva no pós-parto. RESULTADOS Um total de 461 mulheres completaram as duas avaliações clínicas na gestação; dessas, 247 completaram as três avaliações pós-parto. A ocorrência de transtorno mental comum durante a gestação foi de 36,2% e 24,5% na primeira e segunda avaliações, respectivamente, e a incidência cumulativa foi de 9,2%. Ademais, 50,3% mantiveram o transtorno entre as avaliações. Durante o pós-parto, aproximadamente 20% das mães apresentaram sintomatologia depressiva ao longo do primeiro ano de vida de seus filhos. A paridade (≥ 2) foi associada ao transtorno mental comum, enquanto a baixa escolaridade materna associou-se com sintoma depressivo pós-parto. Mulheres com transtorno mental comum nas duas avaliações na gravidez apresentaram 5,6 vezes mais chance (IC95% 2,50–12,60) de desenvolverem sintoma depressivo pós-parto. CONCLUSÃO A ocorrência de transtorno mental comum em qualquer momento avaliado durante a gravidez, mas principalmente sua persistência a partir do segundo trimestre, foi fortemente associado ao sintoma depressivo posterior ao parto. Tais achados evidenciam a necessidade de rastreamento precoce e monitoramento da saúde mental de gestantes no início do pré-natal, a fim de reduzir possíveis impactos negativos para a saúde do binômio mãe-filho causados por tais eventos.
A regulação da inteligência artificial na saúde no Brasil começa com a Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados Pessoais
Authors: Dourado Daniel de Araujo , Aith Fernando Mussa Abujamra
Published: October 2022

A inteligência artificial se desenvolve rapidamente e a saúde é uma das áreas em que as novas tecnologias desse campo são mais promissoras. O uso de inteligência artificial tem potencial para modificar a forma de prestação da assistência à saúde e do autocuidado, além de influenciar a organização dos sistemas de saúde. Por isso, a regulação da inteligência artificial na saúde é um tema emergente e essencial. Leis e normas específicas são elaboradas em todo o mundo. No Brasil, o marco inicial dessa regulação é a Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados Pessoais, a partir do reconhecimento do direito à explicação e à revisão de decisões automatizadas. É preciso debater a abrangência desse direito, considerando a necessária instrumentalização da transparência no uso da inteligência artificial na saúde e os limites atualmente existentes, como a dimensão caixa-preta inerente aos algoritmos e o trade-off existente entre explicabilidade e precisão dos sistemas automatizados.
A Brain Network by Any Other Name
Authors: Uddin Lucina Q.
Published: October 2022

Network neuroscientists generally agree with Pessoa's contention that human brain function is context-dependent and interactionally complex, and that we should embrace brain networks as the functional units of interest. The more contentious issue for the field is how to define brain networks in ways that will facilitate further discovery. A group including members from the Organization for Human Brain Mapping is working toward cataloging best practices and providing concrete reporting guidelines for the scientific community.
The Dangers of Cortical Brain Maps
Authors: Hayden Benjamin Yost
Published: October 2022

The parcellation of the primate cerebral cortex into numbered regions, based on cytoarchitecture, has greatly helped neuroscientists in our quest to understand how the brain implements cognition. Nonetheless, these maps provide an unnecessarily constraining view of how we should do functional neuroanatomy. It is time to think more broadly. Doing so will help advance the goal of incorporating ideas about emergentist organization and interactional complexity into neuroscience.
‘Fragile States’ in an Unequal World
Authors: de Siqueira Isabel Rocha
Published: October 2022

This is a book about people. ‘Fragile States’ in an Unequal World: The Role of the g7+ in International Diplomacy and Development Cooperation introduces the members of the g7+, a group formed by 20 conflict-affected states: why they came to believe in politics and policy; how they feel about their work, their family and their communities; and what they want to leave behind for the next generations. It is the story of their personal and collective values, their mistakes, and the challenges they faced, and it will resonate with anyone who has tried to organize and work with a group of very different people.

This book is also a contribution for those seeking to influence international policy, especially from a disadvantageous position. It explores how to find your voice, use your survival skills, work with passion, decide how much to concede and act responsibly. Together, these lessons illuminate the paths that individual members have walked as they found their own voices, as well as how the g7+ fights to speak collectively. The book ends with a glimpse of the way forward, as Isabel Rocha de Siqueira encourages younger generations to engage with politics and policy generously, with hope for the future.

Combining literature and hard facts – along with other elements such as illustrations, cartoon strips and photographs to tell the previously untold stories of public servants in poor, conflict-affected countries, the book offers an original (and very human) micro and macro perspective on the politics of development. It will be of interest to professionals in major development organisations, students and professors in development courses, policymakers, public servants, civil society, activists working for major international NGOs, and journalists who report on the development industry, as well as those with a general interest in international development cooperation, international diplomacy and other related fields.
How to Use your Survival Skills (to Survive Monitoring and Evaluation)
Authors: de Siqueira Isabel Rocha
Published: October 2022

This chapter is about survival, and the life experiences that lead people to develop a profound respect for equality of opportunities. Most crucially, it is about those who not only survive those experiences but use them as an opportunity to do something, to help others. Survival leaves a deep feeling of commitment but also guilt, which can lead to someone going well above any job description and paying high personal costs to accomplish a mission.
[ARTICLE WITHDRAWN] Clinical Application of Biodegradable Materials in Sports Injuries
Authors: Liu Shui-Gen , Wang Dong-Ming , Chen Cheng , Jiang Hai-Xia , Kabene Stefane Mostefa. , Abdelhameed Wael.
Published: October 2022

THIS ARTICLE WAS WITHDRAWN BY THE PUBLISHER IN NOV 2023
Rheological Properties of Potato-Wheat Dough with Different Ratios of Potato Powder
Authors: Zhao Ping , Zhang Ziliang , Li Deming , Liu Bin , Wang Qian , Fan Wenguang , Zhang Xinguo , Tian Zhenji
Published: October 2022

The rheological properties of the doughs of whole potato powders of seven varieties of potato added to wheat flour at a certain ratio of content were studied. Mixolab was employed to obtain the relevant data. The results showed that the index of mixing dough, dough viscosity index,
amylase content index and retrogradation index changed regularly with the addition of potato powder. The increase the amount of potato powder would be change the mixing properties, amylase content and retrogradation value of the dough and the viscosity increased gradually. The water absorption
rate of the dough increased with the increase the amount of potato powder for Dingshu No. 4 and Dingshu No. 3, but the other varieties remained mostly unchanged. Apart from 0732-12 and 0534-1, the dough strength index of five other varieties showed a trend of decreasing first and then increasing
with the increase the amount of potato powder.
Effects of Pennogenin 3-O-β-Chacotrioside, a Steroidal Saponin from Rhizoma paridis, on Proliferation Inhibition and Apoptosis Induction in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells
Authors: Wu Jianghai , Liu Jia , Wang Dan , Liu Ting , Zheng Shangyong , Li Hongliang
Published: October 2022

Rhizoma paridis is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been reported to have anti-cancer activity. However, the antitumor effect of pennogenin 3-O-β-chacotrioside (Formular: C45H72O17), a steroidal saponin isolated from its extract,
in lung cancer have not been well studied, its potential mechanisms remain unclear. In this paper, its effect on the cell viability of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was examined using the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, the potential target proteins were screened by antibody microarrays, the
potential pharmacological mechanisms were predicted using Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and protein–protein interaction (PPI) analyses. Moreover, to further validate the findings, cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest were measured by flow cytometry,
cell invasion and migration were measured by Transwell assays, and apoptosis-related protein expression levels were measured using western blotting. The results showed that, after treatment by pennogenin 3-O-β-chacotrioside, the cell viability was significantly reduced. In addition,
thirteen target proteins related to apoptosis and platinum drug resistance were screened out, and their PPIs were constructed. Moreover, it was confirmed to have effects in inducing apoptosis and promoting cell cycle arrest in NSCLC cells. The expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins,
such as caspase 8, caspase 9, phospho-ERK1/2, phospho-p38, phospho-Akt, were decreased following the treatment, whereas the expression levels of cleaved caspase 3 and cytochrome C were increased. The findings of the present study highlight the potential of pennogenin 3-O-β-chacotrioside
as a novel therapeutic agent.
Preventive Effect and Mechanism of Cannabis sativa Ingredient on Acute Coronary Artery by Inhibition of Endothelial Cell Inflammatory Response
Authors: Xie Xiao , Meng Xiaobin , Chen Huayan , Chen Ci , Ma Xiaoli
Published: October 2022

The Chinese medicine of Cannabis sativa fruit is called “Hemp Seed” or “Cannabis Kernel.” It is calm, sweet, and has the function of moistening the intestines and treating dry stool. The flower is called “Ma Bo,” and it treats evil wind, amenorrhea,
and forgetfulness. After the extraction of active ingredient from Cannabis sativa, its treatment activity against acute coronary artery was determined and the detailed mechanism was also examined. First of all, ELISA was exploited to investigate the release of inflammatory cytokines
in plasma. After that, via utilizing real time RT-PCR, the activation for the signaling pathway of NF-κB existing in endothelial cell could be identified after the specific treatment. For the Cannabis sativa, its complete chloroplast genome was analyzed through Illumina
pair-end sequencing. According to neighbor-joining (NJ) phylogenetic analysis, the Humulus lupulus and Cannabis sativa come together and become the sisters of other associated species.
Albumin nanoparticles equipped with miR-24 agonist mediate transforming growth factor (TGF)-β signaling pathway to inhibit hypoxia-induced myocardial cell apoptosis
Authors: Jia Huihui , Wang Yuanyuan , Liu Qian , Qin Xiao , Hou Zhaoqin , Li Nannan , Lin Yuguo
Published: October 2022

Abnormal expression of miR-24 is related to cardiomyocyte apoptosis. This study mainly explored the role of miR-24 in cardiomyocyte apoptosis and its possible mechanism. Cardiomyocytes were obtained from newborn SD mice and were randomly separated into blank group, hypoxia group (hypoxia),
miR-24 group (hypoxia+miR-24 agonist nano albumin particles), and pathway agonist (hypoxia+miR-24 agonist nano albumin particles+TGF-β signaling pathway inhibitor) group. miR-24 level in hypoxia group and pathway agonist group was sharply decreased when compared to that of the
blank or miR-24 group (P < 0.05). Cell survival rate and apoptosis of hypoxia group and pathway agonist were also significantly inhibited when compared to that of blank or miR-24 group (P < 0.05). The expression levels of TGF-β, Smad, p-Smad, caspsase-3, Bcl-2,
and HIF-1a were sharply up-regulated in hypoxia group and pathway agonists group, compared to blank group and miR-24 group (P < 0.05). miR-24 can inhibit cardiomyocyte apoptosis through interaction with TGF-β signaling pathway factors, to up-regulate the TGF-β
pathway factor expression and activate TGF-β signaling. TGF-β also interacts with downstream factor Smad to activate the Smad pathway and phosphorylate Smad, thereby activating the activity of HIF-1a, up-regulating HIF-1a, and inhibiting the expression of apoptotic
proteins caspsase-3 and Bcl-2.
Experimental investigation of self-repairing bio concrete in self compacting concrete
Authors: Shobana K. , Thenmozhi R.
Published: October 2022

Concrete is a fundamental component of public infrastructure and a necessary building material. When exposed to tension, traditional concrete has a defect that causes it to crack. Concrete can withstand compressive pressures well, but not tensile forces. Concrete cracking is a serious
problem in the building industry. The best method to conserve energy and safeguard the environment in terms of sustainable development is to make concrete structures more durable and easy to maintain. According to a recent study, by precipitating the chemical calcium carbonate through a process
known as bio mineralization, Bacillus bacteria can be utilised to repair cracks in existing concrete structures. A revolutionary kind of concrete that may be put and crushed without the use of vibration and may flow under its own weight to entirely fill the form is concrete that self-compacts.
The research clearly demonstrates the inquiry into various additions of bacteria to cement in the mix proportion of 5 to 60 ml of cement weight. The trial mix percentage is carried out for the varied features of workability, durability, and potency in order to reach the best bacterial concrete
level. From the test and systematic examinations, the additional material for cement assumes an indispensable job in the durability and strength perspectives. By investigation the properties of cement, bacterial accomplished preferred execution over ordinary cement. The results show that 50
ml of bacteria is very supporting additional cement content. Overall, it satisfies in the aspect of potency, workability, and durable of concrete with bacterial products than ordinary conventional concrete.
The protective effects of omarigliptin against interleukin-17-induced mucin secretion in human nasal epithelial cells
Authors: Du Baowen , Yang Chu , Zhong Xiaoyan , Ye Shijie
Published: October 2022

Interleukin (IL)-17 plays an important role in the initiation and development of allergic rhinitis (AR). Omarigliptin, an inhibitor of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4), has been licensed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, the effects of Omarigliptin in AR have
not been reported before. Here, we report that Omarigliptin inhibited the IL-17-induced expression of TNF-α and IL-6 in human nasal epithelial cells (hNECs). Additionally, Omarigliptin reduced the levels of chemokine colony-stimulating factor 2 (CSF2) as well as the expression
of mucin 4 and mucin 5AC (MUC5AC) in hNECs. Notably, Omarigliptin attenuated oxidative stress by reducing ROS and increasing SOD activity. We also found that Omarigliptin prevented the activation of p38/NF-κB signaling. These results suggest that Omarigliptin might possess potential
in the treatment of AR.
Avoiding the Appearance of Virtue: Reactivity to Corporate Social Responsibility Ratings in an Era of Shareholder Primacy
Authors: Lewis Ben W. , Carlos W. Chad
Published: October 2022

We examine why organizations may at times decrease their performance after receiving a positive rating. We argue that in contrast to the prevailing assumption that organizations will strive for favorable ratings to achieve reputational benefits, incompatibility between a positive rating and a dominant institutional logic may cause recognized firms to question the perceived value of maintaining superior performance, thus leading them to strategically reduce their efforts on the rated dimension. Using a difference-in-differences design, we examine how companies responded to being rated as charitable organizations, an evaluation that we argue was generally perceived as incompatible with the dominant logic of shareholder maximization during the early 1990s. Our results suggest that firms that were rated as generous were more likely to decrease philanthropic contributions relative to firms that were not rated as generous. We also found this reaction to be amplified or attenuated by organizational and institutional factors that increased or decreased the saliency of the perceived incompatibility between the philanthropy rating and the dominant shareholder logic. These findings provide insights for scholarship on organizational reactivity and impression management and raise important questions for scholars and practitioners interested in improving the effectiveness of evaluation metrics as drivers of organizational performance.
Spreading the Culture of Economic Growth: Productivity Missions and the Americanization of the German Economy
Authors: Stöckmann Jan
Published: October 2022

This article examines how the Marshall Plan stimulated a culture of economic growth in postwar Germany, specifically through an international exchange programme known as ‘productivity missions’. From 1948 until the late 1950s these missions facilitated thousands of encounters between American and European managers, workers and experts in order to spread American industrial and managerial practices and, as a consequence, to boost postwar economic recovery in the capitalist world. Run by the Economic Cooperation Administration and the Organization for European Economic Co-operation, the productivity campaign enjoyed the support of both national governments as well as business associations and trade unions. While there is ample historiography on the political intentions and the economic consequences of the Marshall Plan, we know less about the productivity missions as vehicles of cultural transformation. Based on first-hand reports and archival evidence from both sides of the Atlantic, this article explores the cultural dimensions of the productivity campaign. It argues that the missions were an important catalyst for the dominant role of productivity and economic growth in postwar German society.
Adaptive robust force control of an underactuated walking lower limb hydraulic exoskeleton
Authors: Chen Shan , Zhang Heng , Han Tenghui , Dong Fangfang , Liu Haijun , Han Jiang
Published: October 2022

This paper presents an adaptive robust interaction force control algorithm for an underactuated walking lower limb hydraulic exoskeleton. In order to deal with the problem of passive joints (less of control inputs), holonomic constraints from the wearer are considered in system dynamics, which help transform the underactuated exoskeleton dynamics into fully actuated dynamics in Cartesian space. Based on the established dynamic model, adaptive robust interaction force controllers are presented both for the phase of double leg support and single leg support to effectively deal with multiple walking phases, negative effect of high-order nonlinearities of hydraulic systems as well as various model uncertainties and external disturbances. An additional torque allocation method is proposed to deal with the over-actuated characteristic in double leg support phase. Comparative simulations are carried out. The results demonstrate that the proposed force controller can achieve precision and strong robust interaction force control performance to load change and variation of the human trajectory.
Tragus Perichondrium–Cartilage Island and Temporalis Muscle Fascia for Repairing Tympanic Membrane Perforation Under the Otoendoscope: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Hu Yu-Qiang , Zou Ming-Zhen , Sun Hai , Ma Mei , An Jun , Chen Ran , Cheng Liang-Jun , Liu Bing
Published: October 2022

Objective

To compare the clinical effects of repairing tympanic membrane perforation (TMP) with the tragus perichondrium–cartilage island and temporalis muscle fascia (TMF) under the otoendoscope.

Methods

The clinical data of 84 patients (total 84 ears) with TMP repaired by otoendoscopy from March 2019 to April 2021 were analyzed. The patients were randomly divided into the control group (n = 42, TMF repair) and the experimental group (n = 42, perichondrium–cartilage island repair). The intraoperative blood loss, operation time, length of hospital stay, success rate of the TMP repair, mean air-conducted sound, and air–bone gap before and after surgery were compared between the two groups.

Results

The mean air–bone gap and mean air-conducted hearing threshold in the experimental group were significantly lower after surgery at all frequencies than those of the control group (all P < .05). The reduction of the mean air-conducted hearing threshold in the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group ( P < .001). The surgery time of the experimental group was significantly shorter than the control group (78.04 ± 2.23 vs. 84.27 ± 1.67 minutes, P < .001). The success rate of the TMP repair was 95.24% (40/42) in the experimental group and 92.86% (39/42) in the control group, indicating that there was no significant difference in the success rate of TMP repair between the two materials (risk ratio = 1.75; 95% confidence interval: .31-12.04; P = .71).

Conclusion

Repairs with the tragus perichondrium–cartilage island have a short operation time, high healing rate, and more significant postoperative hearing improvement, which makes it a more effective method of TMP repair.
Changes in lifestyle behaviors during COVID-19 isolation in Argentina: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Flores Luis E. , Elgart Jorge F. , Abraham Analía G. , Garrote Graciela L. , Torrieri Rocío , Cepeda Alberto , Cardelle-Cobas Alejandra , Gagliardino Juan J.
Published: October 2022

Objective: Our aim was to identify changes in population habits induced by COVID-19 confinement in Argentina. Methods: An internet-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among adults in Argentina on December 2020, requesting possible changes occurring during the COVID-19 outbreak. It included 26 questions regarding general information (age, gender, location), eating habits, desire/anxiety for food or to eat between meals, weight gain, physical activity, and hours of sleep. We ran a descriptive statistical analysis of changes in habits and lifestyle during the confinement, followed by a logistic regression analysis to explore the relation between these changes and weight gain. Results: Out of 1536 survey participants, 57.1% were female, aged 38.8 ± 13.1 years. Data showed that during the outbreak, people experienced significant changes in food intake, physical activity, nutritional supplement consumption, anxiety, and sleeping disorders. These changes in behavior resulted in an elevated percentage of people (39.7%) that gained weight (average 4.8 ± 2.8 kg). Weight gain was associated with more food consumption (OR: 9.398), increased snacking between meals (OR: 1.536), anxiety about food (OR: 3.180), less practice of physical activity (OR: 0.586) and less consumption of nutritional supplements (OR: 0.762). Conclusions: COVID-19 outbreak was associated with unhealthy lifestyle changes and body weight increase. These adverse side effects could be prevented by active promotion of nutritional advice and physical activity, implementing virtual activities associated with regular mass promotion campaigns.
MRI findings of iatrogenic extravasation of gadolinium-based contrast agents in patients with cancer
Authors: Hama Yukihiro , Tate Etsuko
Published: October 2022

Background

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings after subcutaneous extravasation of gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA) have not been investigated in detail.

Purpose

To present the MRI findings of iatrogenic extravasation and to evaluate the characteristic findings.

Material and Methods

In this retrospective study of 16,039 patients with cancer, 11 patients had significant extravasation of macrocyclic GBCA, and 7 of the 11 had MRI of the injection site. Characteristic MRI findings as well as symptoms and changes over time were evaluated.

Results

The forearms or antecubital fossa felt cold in all seven cases, and 3 (43%) patients felt pain at the injection sites. Fat-suppressed T1-weighted images showed a mosaic pattern of the extravasate with mixed high and low signal in the subcutaneous tissue in 7 (100%) cases. Contrast enhancement of the fascia toward the proximal portion was observed in 3 (43%) cases. There was no subfascial deep extension. On T2-weighted images, GBCAs were observed as low-signal fluid collection on the fascia, with linear spread to the dermis and subcutaneous tissue. Four patients underwent daily MRI scans, all of whom had their contrast disappeared within three days.

Conclusion

Macrocyclic GBCA disappears from subcutaneous tissue quickly after extravasation and is unlikely to cause serious sequelae.
The professional values of American undergraduate music majors
Authors: Shaw Brian P
Published: October 2022

The purpose of this survey research was to examine undergraduate music majors’ professional identities and values. Participants ( N = 277) at nine varied postsecondary institutions reported the value they and their peers and professors would place on various musical honors and careers. The instrument was pilot tested and validated through confirmatory factor analysis. The perceived values of participants’ social influences explained 44% of the participants’ value for awards and 65% of their value for careers. Consistent with prior research, students of all majors rated performance awards and careers the highest and careers as general music teachers and music scholars the lowest. Value differences with applied instructors predicted lower enjoyment of music school. Findings also highlighted how gender, race/ethnicity, and year in music school interacted with social influences to affect participants’ attitudes and aspirations.
Blood phenotype O and indirect bilirubin are associated with lower, early COVID-19—related mortality: A retrospective study
Authors: Efat Alaa , Shoeib Sabry , ElKholy Ali , Hussein Aboelela Osama Saied , Elshamy Doaa
Published: October 2022

Objectives

To evaluate the ABO blood type and indirect bilirubin to predict early mortality in adults with severe COVID-19.

Methods

This retrospective observational study was conducted on 268 adult patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 who had attended the intensive care unit (ICU), Quena general hospital and Luxor International Hospital, and other hospitals or centers for the treatment of COVID-19, during the period from January 2021 till December 2021.

Results

Relation between mortality and ABO group were highly significant, as we found non-O blood group with more risk of early mortality and intensive care unit admission ICU. There were significant differences between dead and alive cases as regards platelets, white blood cells WBCs (neutrophil, lymphocyte), albumin, liver enzymes aspartate transeferase (AST), alanine transferase (ALT), total direct and indirect bilirubin, creatinine, and urea.

Conclusion

There was a highly significant relation between dead cases and ABO blood group as between the O and non-O groups; also, group O was associated with less severe manifestations and or ventilation and less mortality in patients with severe COVID-19 infection. Direct bilirubin >0.5 was found to be the best predictor for mortality in cases with COVID-19 so indirect bilirubin may be considered a good protector against complications of the infection.